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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23077849">Shackles of Lust</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/x3AmberLovex3/pseuds/x3AmberLovex3'>x3AmberLovex3</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Kingdom Hearts</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Addiction, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Drug Use, I'm Going to Hell, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Light Dom/sub, M/M, Multi, Out of Character, Piercings, Please Don't Hate Me, Sex, Stripping, Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 00:27:37</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>58,072</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23077849</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/x3AmberLovex3/pseuds/x3AmberLovex3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sora's a heartbroken college student. Riku's a dancer at a strip club. Who wouldn't be infatuated with the lifestyle of sex, drugs, and alcohol? Especially when you get the attention you crave after feeling desperate for so long. But most dancers can't commit to a long-term relationship; so keeping it a secret is the next best thing. Soriku, hints of Akuroku. MATURE THEMES - The themes in this story are very graphic, but unfortunately very real. Mature adults only - otherwise, please avert your eyes.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aqua/Terra (Kingdom Hearts), Axel/Roxas (Kingdom Hearts), Kairi &amp; Sora (Kingdom Hearts), Riku/Sora (Kingdom Hearts)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>69</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>138</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. A Change of Heart</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello everyone! First and foremost, this is my first story on AO3; I used other sites before, but I wanted this particular story to reach a wider variety of people, especially those that are more mature, so here I am!</p>
<p>I must say, I have not published a story (or written one, for that matter) in 5-6 years. With the release of Kingdom Hearts III, I have a newfound love for writing and creating fanfictions for my favorite pairing.</p>
<p>Anyway, this is my comeback. Not that I had much of a career to come back to, but I am pouring a lot of work into this story, as it's extremely personal to me and what I've been through. I've moved past these obstacles, but please feel free to privately ask me about my experiences if you're interested!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>College wasn’t <em>that </em>bad, Sora figured – extremely dull and boring, but not absolute torture like the way he was expecting when he first started attending classes three years ago.</p><p>“Earth to Sora!” exclaimed Roxas, waving his hand in front of Sora’s face, tearing his concentration away from the textbook he was attempting to study. Sora rolled his eyes as he made eye contact with the blonde before he continued. “Which pair makes my ass look better?” Roxas was clutching two pairs of khaki pants, holding each one up in front of his waist to sample them. Sora saw exactly no difference between the two, and honestly, had no intention on trying to find a difference for Roxas’s sake.</p><p>To be perfectly frank, college couldn’t possibly be so torturous with a roommate like Roxas. They had become close friends within the last three years since meeting in the remedial math class their first year of college. Sora first came into contact (quite literally) with the boy when Roxas came barreling into the classroom on his skateboard, with no regard for anyone else’s safety or privacy – and Sora was no exemption. Roxas took the liberty to sit (or more accurately – <em>crash</em>)directly next to Sora, a complete stranger at the time, and Roxas intrusively asked him about his thoughts on the professor’s ‘perky ass,’ as Roxas referred to it. Sora was immediately introduced to Roxas’s not-so-subtle way of speaking, which often left Sora with red cheeks whenever Roxas opened his mouth. After three years, though, Sora grew used to the manner in which Roxas spoke.</p><p>This, however, was the first year they became roommates. Sora still hadn’t come to a definitive conclusion as to whether or not he enjoyed it. He was still getting used to the fact that he was currently living with such an openly gay guy – not that Sora cared about Roxas’s sexual preferences, but it occasionally became a predicament when he was forced to bear witness to Roxas and his boyfriend performing coitus unannounced. Multiple times.</p><p>“I don’t care, Roxas,” Sora sighed, trying to force his attention back to his textbook.</p><p>“Lame.” Roxas threw the two pants back on his bed, which was by the window. Apparently Roxas had claimed this bed ‘just in case any perverts wanted a free show’ by peeking into the window. “As much as I hate her, Kairi would be more helpful than you are.” Roxas smirked, knowing exactly how to push Sora’s buttons without completely pissing him off.</p><p>“She’s just a phone call away, you know.” At the mention of Kairi’s name, Sora checked his phone. He hadn’t heard from her since early in the morning, which was odd. They generally exchanged text messages throughout the day, but lately it seemed as though she was ignoring him most days. Sora’s history with Kairi mostly consisted of being friend-zoned throughout childhood and high school, but had finally become an official relationship soon after they both entered college. Sora would never admit it to anyone, but he practically chose this particular college – Salisbury State College (a name that often gets snickers from students for the relation to salisbury steaks) – to avoid he and Kairi from becoming distant and subsequently losing all contact with each other. “You really hate her?” Sora questioned, turning to face Roxas, placing an elbow on the back of his office chair.</p><p>Roxas gave Sora an exasperated look. “I know she’s your girlfriend and all, but she’s too… good.”</p><p>Sora raised his eyebrow. “And that’s bad thing?”</p><p>“She’s holding you back, man. You’ve got to learn to live, and she’s not letting you.”</p><p>Roxas’s blunt speech was both a blessing and a curse to Sora. This was one of the times he saw it as a curse. “Coming from the guy who’s lucky to get a C grade in any class.” Sora narrowed his eyes, wondering who in their right mind made the decision to allow Roxas to be accepted into a higher education.</p><p>Roxas smirked. “At least I’m here for the experience. Isn’t that what college is for anyway?” He began walking towards Sora until he was inches away from his face, poking his nose with each word. “Live-” <em>poke. </em>“A-” <em>poke.</em> “Little.” <em>poke. </em></p><p>Sora decided not to dignify his persistence with any response. He never understood the appeal to alcohol or drugs. Even since turning legal age to drink this year, he didn’t possess the desire to attend parties and experiment like most people in college. To Roxas’s credit, though, some of that attitude may be due to Kairi’s influence. She often found a way to make him feel guilty about getting drunk without her. Sora had gotten used to avoiding the mind-altering substances within the last two years of their relationship to avoid the potential of any fights. He checked his phone again, disappointment shrouding his face upon seeing there was still no answer from Kairi.</p><p>Roxas took note of Sora’s sunken expression. “She with Cloud?” he asked softly. He knew the concept of Kairi and Cloud being together was a sore subject. Despite how Roxas came off as rude and sarcastic to most people, he genuinely cared about his friends and took pride in his loyalty to them.</p><p>“Probably,” Sora answered, avoiding eye contact with his roommate. “The due date for their project is coming up soon.” Even as he said it, something tugged at his gut that hinted at the excuse being total bullshit. Somewhere deep down, Sora knew this, but his optimistic nature kept him from accepting it.</p><p>“Well, Sora… This is as good excuse as any for you to come with me to see Axel at work tonight.” Roxas’s voice became sickeningly chipper.</p><p>Sora chuckled at the thought. He knew Axel worked as a bartender at a strip club, which he wasn’t sure whether it was strictly a gay strip club or not – either way, it was not his scene. “The answer is still the same as always, Rox. Absolutely not.”</p><p>“But So-ra,” Roxas singsonged. “Axel keeps telling me about this super hot dancer he works with. You have to come check him out with me! You can’t possibly call yourself my friend if you don’t enjoy these things with me.”</p><p>Sora shook his head, adamant about his decision like every other time. “I refuse to take part in your drool-fest. Besides, I have to think of a Valentine’s Day surprise for Kairi.”</p><p>Roxas groaned, clearly bored with the topic of Kairi. “Since I’m such a good friend, I’ll bite.” He paused to let out an exaggerated sigh, then continued, “What are you planning, Sora?” Roxas asked, his voice laced with mocking sarcasm.</p><p>Sora completely ignored Roxas’s dramatic reaction. “I need to bring back the spark. Something romantic and <em>Notebook-</em>esque.”</p><p>Roxas looked at the brunette with his blue eyes widened for a moment, but his expression soon softened, looking almost bored. “… Lame.”</p><p>Sora shook a hand at the blonde dismissively, turning back to his desk in an attempt to focus on the textbook once again. Instead, however, Sora could only focus on his plans for Kairi. After all, he had less than a week to make a decision. He bounced several ideas back and forth in his mind – a rose pedal trail to a warm bath drawn, with candles surrounding the tub; a treasure hunt with love notes strewn around the dorm; a song written specifically for her. Sora couldn’t decide on what to do, especially with the pestering doubt in the back of his mind that consistently reminded him of the possibility of Kairi being with Cloud. His thoughts transformed to nightmarish ideas of what the two would be doing together – feelings of betrayal flooding his mind,since he was stuck in his dorm thinking of ideas about how to impress her, meanwhile her thoughts were likely on everything but him.</p><p>His phone finally rang.</p><p>Sora immediately perked up, seeing Kairi’s name on the screen. He pressed the green phone icon on the screen in a matter of seconds. “Kairi!” he exclaimed into the speaker, eager to hear her voice.</p><p>Kairi’s tone, however, did not match the excitement that Sora displayed. “<em>Hey, hun. Can I see you?</em>” She spoke slowly into the phone, but Sora had trouble deciphering the cause behind it.</p><p>Despite Kairi’s somber tone, the words were music to Sora’s ears. He had barely spoken to her all day, and they hadn’t been able to spend quality time together since Kairi’s focus was transitioned to this project about a month ago. “I’d like nothing more than that, Kai.”</p><p>“<em>Great. Meet me on the bench?”</em></p><p>Sora was slightly puzzled; he had assumed she would be coming into his dorm like she usually did. “Sure…” his voice trailed off. He noticed Roxas shoot a concerned look out of the corner of his eye. The other line on the phone abruptly clicked off.</p><p>Roxas didn’t dare say what was on his mind for once, regardless of knowing what was coming once Sora stepped foot outside to meet Kairi. “Everything okay, Sora?”</p><p>Sora swallowed the lump in his throat. The entire situation definitely didn’t seem right, but Sora refused to be pessimistic. He forced a smile, “Yeah, I’m sure she’s just tired. She had a long day.”</p><p>“If you say so,” Roxas muttered. “I’ll stick around for a bit, yeah?”</p><p>Sora nodded in appreciation for Roxas’s support, shrugging his pea coat over his shoulders to brace himself for the chilly February night. He put his hand on the door handle, taking a deep breath before exiting the dorm room. Sora descended the stairs of the building, counting each step in an attempt to calm his thoughts. He felt his heart pounding against his chest. He opened the main door to the building to make his way into the brittle cold, the heavy door slamming behind him. The bench Kairi referred to on the phone was a mere twelve feet away, which seemed like twelve miles for Sora in this moment in time. He cupped his hands around his mouth and blew hot breath into them. His nose was already starting to turn red.</p><p>Sora eventually made his way to the bench and sat down, inspecting the area for any signs of Kairi. He spotted her a small distance away, standing by the college’s shuttle booth – another figure standing next to her. Sora’s heart skipped a few beats as he came to the realization that this figure was none other than Cloud. Sora found himself gritting his teeth in frustration, watching the two awkwardly move around each other. When he watched them hug – for just a <em>little</em> longer than a friendly hug should be – Sora grunted, but decided against making his presence known. Possibly (or entirely, he wasn’t sure which) out of curiosity to see how far this went.</p><p>To his minor relief, the two did go their separate ways without signs of intimate affection, and Kairi turned in Sora’s direction to make her way to the bench. Sora put his head between his hands, coming to the realization that this conversation likely wouldn’t turn out as well as he hoped.</p><p>“Thanks for meeting me out here, Sora.”</p><p>Sora looked up to see Kairi standing next to him, a soft smile on her pale face. “Couldn’t have picked a warmer spot, huh?” he replied, trying to make light of the situation.</p><p>Kairi sat next to the freezing brunette, ignoring his comment. Sora’s leg began to bounce impatiently, waiting for her to start this conversation. “I’ve been worried about you, lately,” Kairi began, placing a hand on Sora’s back.</p><p>“I’ve been worried about us, lately.” Sora tried to mask the desperation in his voice, his eyes full of regret for coming out here.</p><p>Kairi was silent, validating Sora’s concerns. “I’m guessing you know why I asked you to talk with me.” She looked down, fiddling with her fingernails.</p><p>Sora felt the sting of tears forming behind his eyes. “Is it Cloud?” He sniffed, refusing to make eye contact with her.</p><p>Kairi looked surprised. Sora wasn’t sure if her shock was genuine, or if she was a fantastic liar. “Sora, he has nothing to do with this. I just…” her voice was audibly shaky. “I just had a change of heart. I don’t feel the same as I once did.”</p><p>The last sentence echoed in Sora’s ears. His gut started contracting, still suspicious about her relations to Cloud. The recognition of he and Kairi’s relationship ending wasn’t hitting him yet. It seemed so <em>final</em>, so incredibly abrupt. It wasn’t feasible. Almost three years – gone to waste.</p><p>Kairi gently placed her finger on Sora’s chin, guiding him to look up at her. “I’m so sorry, Sora,” she whispered, giving him a small peck on the temple.</p><p>And just like that, she walked away, so easily; while Sora was left to wallow in self-pity and replay this memory in his mind over and over again, alone on the nearly freezing bench in the middle of campus. He felt pathetic.</p><p>He composed himself enough to return back into the dorm room, where Roxas was waiting – proving his words to be true about sticking around. Roxas somehow knew exactly what was going to transpire. Sora collapsed on his bed, tears instantly breaking free. Roxas sat next to the brunette and snaked his arms around the shambling mess of a boy to hold him in a protective embrace, only whispering <em>‘she’s a bitch’</em> quietly in Sora’s ear. This particular scenario was one of the times where Roxas’s blunt way of speaking was a blessing to Sora.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Somebody Else</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Sora's a heartbroken college student. Riku's a dancer at a strip club. Who wouldn't be infatuated with the lifestyle of sex, drugs, and alcohol? Especially when you get the attention you crave after feeling desperate for so long. But most dancers can't commit to a long-term relationship; so keeping it a secret is the next best thing. Soriku, hints of Akuroku. MATURE THEMES.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sora refused to accept that life continued on after his heart was broken. He couldn’t find it in himself to pretend as if everything was okay, when in fact <em>nothing</em> was okay. His chest felt empty, his stomach was constantly twisted in knots, and his god forsaken eyes wouldn’t stop pouring tears. To make matters worse, today was <em>fucking </em>Valentine’s Day. For some reason, Kairi insisted on keeping in touch with Sora, dangling herself in front of him and reminding him of her presence, but never closing the gap. He knew the conversations between them made the possibility of moving on much more difficult for him, but in his vulnerable state, he had no boundaries. No matter how pissed off he was for what she did to him, he couldn’t find the strength to tell her to leave him alone.</p><p>The day following ‘The Incident’ – Sora had coined the term – he actually made an attempt to go to class. Sora soon discovered that the mere sight of Kairi caused his guts to wretch, and he would get the urge to find the nearest bathroom to expel his nerves. Nobody warned him how painful heartbreak would be – physically and emotionally. So he resorted to hiding away in shame, making a dwelling for himself in his dorm room. His bed was beginning to look like a dragon’s nest from his hoard of tissues, chips, and other nonsense that he was too lazy to throw away. The pile was pretty sizable, as one would expect after about one week’s worth of buildup.</p><p>Earlier in the day, Sora had found the courage to leave the comfort of his dorm – not to attend class or anything, but to get a breath of fresh air and increase the possibility of healthy human interaction. Roxas was a great support for Sora within the last week, but he suspected Roxas was getting a bit disgusted by Sora’s nest he built in the bed, since he noticed Roxas started distancing himself the last couple days. Sora figured other human interaction would likely be beneficial anyway.</p><p>Sora immediately regretted his decision upon witnessing his worst fear as he walked into the main building where most people congregated when they were bored. Directly in the lobby of the main building of Salisbury State, in front of the large fireplace in the middle of the room, he saw Cloud and Kairi – together. Not innocently hanging out, either, but<em> together</em>, together. Sora watched as Kairi sat innocently on the couch and Cloud descended onto his knees, his big dumb boots awkwardly snagging the carpet as he embraced Kairi’s hand with both of his, their eyes fixated on each other and stupidly smiling at one another. Sora saw Cloud kiss Kairi’s hand as she giggled, which is all he could stomach before he ran into the bathroom to vomit. He was pretty sure neither of them saw him, but he wanted to keep it that way. He didn’t want to know how much further the interaction between the two proceeded.</p><p>So this is how Sora ended up back in his dragon’s nest, cursing at this stupid fucking holiday, at his stupid fucking phone, and his stupid fucking heart. To hell with emotions – they were pesky little buggers.</p><p>His face was buried in his pillow when he heard the door to his dorm room click open and softly push shut in a matter of seconds. He heard Roxas’s footsteps approaching the bedroom slowly. Sora figured Roxas was afraid of what he would come home to on a daily basis. To his surprise, however, he felt the edge of the bed slightly cave in as Roxas sat next to Sora’s limp body. He felt a hand softly place itself in the middle of his back.</p><p>“Sora…” Roxas started, his voice filled with concern.</p><p>As much as Sora appreciated the touch, he was in no mood to talk. “Please, go away Roxas,” he groaned into the pillow.</p><p>The hand on his back withdrew, and Sora felt relief that Roxas listened for once. Suddenly, he heard a loud <em>THWAP</em>! and felt a hot sting on his ass cheek, causing him to nearly leap into a sitting position.</p><p>“What the <em>fuck</em>, Roxas!” Sora spat, rubbing the sore cheek that Roxas had violently assaulted.</p><p>“Seriously dude, you need to pull yourself together.” Roxas stood up, totally unfazed by Sora’s glare. “You look like shit.”</p><p>Sora’s eyes narrowed, trying to concentrate all rage into his stare in the hope that Roxas would feel heat emitting from the fire in his eyes.</p><p>“And you smell a bit,” Roxas continued, taking a whiff of the surrounding area around Sora. “Actually, you smell a lot. It’s bad. I’m pretty sure I could smell you from the hallway.”</p><p>Sora closed his eyes, rubbing them with one hand. “I really don’t have the energy to care to shower right now,” he muttered, knowing how embarrassing it was to admit.</p><p>Roxas shook his head. “Then I’ll drag you in there and wash your dirty ass myself.” He offered his hand to his roommate, his expression unchanging, proving to Sora that he was dead serious.</p><p>“Fine, fine. But stay away from the bathroom. I’m perfectly capable of bathing myself.” Sora hopped off the bed, making his way towards the closet to grab a towel.</p><p>“Finally,” Roxas whispered under his breath, barely audible enough for Sora to hear. “And don’t forget to wash your twig and berries either!” he yelled towards the bathroom as he watched Sora pathetically drag his feet in that direction, proud of his good deed of the day.</p><p>Sora physically cringed as he shut the bathroom door behind him. He stepped into the shower and let the lukewarm water pelt his chest. He took a deep breath as the water grew warmer, not realizing how revitalizing it would feel to wash the grime off his body. Maybe Roxas had a point – he was pretty rank. Sora turned up his nose as he smelled body odor emanating from his armpits. Sora ran his hands through his chocolate locks, being sure to lather the shampoo into his hair and rinse away the grease that had built up from the last few days of neglect.</p><p>Sora heard the bathroom door open and close, immediately realizing he forgot to lock the door. Fuck. He should’ve known better than to allow Roxas any opportunity for entry into his privacy.</p><p>“You’re coming with me to visit Axel at work tonight,” Roxas almost-yelled over the sound of running water so Sora could hear him.</p><p>“Are we really having this conversation right now?” Sora inquired, the least bit impressed at Roxas’s rude intrusion.</p><p>“It’s not a question, Sora. You need to get out of this fucking dorm,” Roxas retorted in a matter-of-fact tone.</p><p>For the first time, Sora actually contemplated Roxas’s point. He quite liked the thought of being away from Salisbury State, even if it was only a few minutes away by car. Sora never actually went to the strip club, but judging by Roxas’s trips to and from the place, he figured it wasn’t terribly far away from the campus. He shut the water off when he finished rinsing and poked his head out from the shower curtain, making eye contact with Roxas. “If I go, what do I get in return?”</p><p>Roxas was leaning his back against the sink, arms crossed. “None of this ‘if’ business. I told you there’s not an option. Besides, Axel told me the eye candy is working tonight.”</p><p>Sora’s eyes widened. “Eye candy?”</p><p>“Yeah, the hot dancer I told you about. His name is Riku. Apparently he’s a bartender too. He and Axel are bartending together tonight.” Roxas was smiling brightly, obviously excited about the prospect.</p><p>“I don’t know if you noticed, Roxas, but I’m not exactly gay,” Sora pointed out.</p><p>Roxas chuckled. “You’re not exactly <em>straight</em>, either.” After noticing the puzzled look in Sora’s expression, he continued, “Trust me, my gay-dar is impeccable. You never know until you try, my friend.”</p><p>Sora rolled his eyes, disappearing behind the shower curtain once again. “Please get out so I can get dressed.”</p><p>“Oh no, I’m picking your outfit for tonight. You need to look your best… just in case.”</p><p>“In case of what?” Sora had no idea what Roxas meant by that comment, but he didn’t get a response since the blonde had disappeared from the bathroom without a trace.</p><p>Sora wrapped himself in the towel and exited the bathroom. At this point he was just going through the motions, allowing Roxas to guide him into the unknown that was the remainder of the night. He figured it was better than sulking alone in the darkness of the dorm.</p><p>Roxas brought a bundle of folded clothes to the wet brunette, holding them like the holy grail. “Behold! My ever-so flattering outfit, specifically chosen for my liege.” Sora took the bundle of clothing and inspected them. He and Roxas were practically the same height and size, so it would make sense for Sora to fit into his clothes. He pulled the lightly worn jeans over his hips, realizing how comfortably they fit. Following the jeans, he pulled the white button-up shirt over his arms, taking his time with fastening each button up to his collarbones. Roxas shook his head and tapped the first two buttons, hinting for Sora to undo them so part of his chest could be exposed. Sora did as he was told, trusting that his blonde roommate knew what looked best. Sora looked down at the exposure, placing his hand over his tanned skin, slightly embarrassed. He never put so much effort into his appearance before. As he was looking down, he noticed the shoes Roxas had placed next to Sora’s feet. They were black Calvin Klein dress shoes, shining in the lighting of the room. He slid his feet into them, automatically feeling better than he had in what felt like ages.</p><p>Sora noticed Roxas beaming at the brand-new looking brunette. “Damn, Sora. I’m gonna have to beat the men and women away with a stick. Before we leave, one last finishing touch.” Roxas momentarily disappeared into another room while Sora inspected himself in the mirror hanging in the bedroom. He looked like a completely different person, aside from his stubborn hair style, which he had learned a long time ago was hopeless to attempt training differently. When Roxas reappeared, he had a bottle of Armani cologne in his hand. “This is for your smelly ass,” he laughed as he sprayed twice around Sora’s chest. His roommate gave him a once-over to be sure he was presentable, then nodded as if to say <em>you’re ready.</em></p><p>Sora didn’t mention it, but he was eternally grateful toward Roxas, who may have inadvertently saved his life tonight.</p><p> </p><p>xXx</p><p> </p><p>Roxas dragged a very hesitant Sora into the bar/club/whatever-it-was-called, bypassing the large red-headed bouncer standing guard at the entrance. Sora tried his best to avoid eye contact with the man, whose presence alone was infinitely intimidating. Roxas simply nodded at the bouncer, offering a confident wave in greeting. Sora looked at the glowing neon sign above the building which read ‘<em>sHE’.</em> He couldn’t help but find the name intimidating as well, not knowing what the hell to expect inside.</p><p>Upon entering, Sora first noticed how dark it was, the only light source emitting a violet glow around the area. To Sora’s surprise, the purple glow was quite aesthetically pleasing, not to mention flattering for everyone inside. The bar was directly to the left, which held about ten bar stools (most of which were empty, Sora noted) along the length of the bar. High-top tables were littered around the remainder of the floor, which were also fairly empty. Beyond the bar area, though, was a small set of steps that led into the larger portion of the building – this was where the action took place, it seemed. Most of the floor was covered with a large raised stage, with two poles on each end. In front of the stage were booths along the walls, small tables set in front of them. Men and women were walking around this area, all scantily clad; most likely to entice patrons to throw all their cash in their direction. <em>Guess this isn’t just a gay club, then…</em> Sora thought to himself. The entire floor had a slight smoky mist gathering throughout the building – maybe to maintain some sort of anonymity for the clients and dancers alike. A few dancers were giving lap dances to their customers in the lower area. Sora was a bit surprised to see that none of these dancers were naked like he had expected.</p><p>“Axel!” Roxas yelled, in close proximity to Sora’s ear, breaking him out of his trance. He was waving at the red-headed bartender, who returned his greeting with a bright smile. The volume of Roxas’s voice made Sora to realize how loud the music was blaring in the building.</p><p>The two boys occupied two bar stools next to each other – they had their pick of practically any seat along the bar, which made things easier. Despite what Roxas was telling Sora earlier, Axel was the only person behind the bar. The elusive ‘Riku’ these two were so obsessed with was nowhere to be seen.</p><p>“Well, well, well… Look who decided to join the fun,” Axel teased, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.</p><p>“I didn’t have much of a choice,” Sora confessed, shooting a look at the culprit sitting next to him. Roxas shrugged, obviously proud of this feat, which was nearly impossible until this very moment.</p><p>“Happy Valentine’s Day, Ax.” Roxas offered, leaning over the bar with his lips puckered. Axel obliged the invitation, giving the blonde a deep kiss. Sora grimaced; the sight of any happy couple was disgusting to him these days. As they say, misery loves company.</p><p>Axel pulled four shot glasses out from underneath the bar, lining them in front of the two boys on the opposite side. “We’re doing some shots in celebration of this occasion,” the red-headed man explained, grabbing a bottle of whiskey and pouring each shot with grace.</p><p>Sora counted the four shot glasses, confusion worn on his face. “You pouring two for yourself or something?”</p><p>Axel laughed. “I’m at work, short-stuff. I’m not that irresponsible. This is for my co-worker.” He looked around as though he didn’t know where this co-worker disappeared to. “We’ll have to wait until he comes back.”</p><p>As if on cue, a tall silver haired employee emerged from a door that was hidden behind the bar on the far side from where Sora and Roxas were seated. He was wiping his hands on a bar towel as he approached the group. The world seemed to slow down as he got closer – Sora’s eyes widened when the man looked at him.</p><p>“Speak of the devil,” Axel smiled, obviously enjoying the sight of his co-worker. “We were just about to do a shot. I already poured one for you.”</p><p>“Jameson? You know me so well,” he said, a smirk playing on his lips. He immediately turned to lock eyes with Sora, whose mouth was slightly agape. “Who’s this handsome little thing?” He cocked his head slightly, inspecting the brunette. At Sora’s silence, he offered his hand. “Riku.”</p><p>Roxas nudged Sora’s ribs, bringing him back to reality. He took the hand in an embrace in order to hold up appearances. “S-Sora.” <em>Handsome?</em> Sora bit his lip, trying to compose himself as he stared at Riku’s deep green eyes.</p><p>Axel broke the awkward moment, possibly sensing how uncomfortable Sora was feeling. “Short-stuff here is the reason for our celebration. He got dumped not too long ago, and Roxas finally convinced the poor sap to get out.”</p><p>Riku clapped his hands and rubbed them together in anticipation. “Well, let’s not waste any more time, then.” He grabbed the shot glass that was reserved for him, and the rest followed suit. “To Sora,” Riku smirked, subtly winking at the brunette before throwing back his shot like an expert.</p><p>Sora couldn’t remember the last time he drank alcohol, let alone the last time he took a <em>straight shot</em> of it. But the sudden desire to impress Riku washed over him, compelling him to take the shot without hesitation. Almost immediately, he started coughing from the sudden bitter taste that invaded his taste buds. His head shook, with his lips puckered together in an involuntary reaction to the aftertaste. Riku placed a small souffle cup of pickle juice in front of the suffering brunette. Sora threw it down his gullet in an act of desperation, warranting a small chuckle from Riku.</p><p>Roxas patted Sora’s back, proud of his friend for finally taking part in his antics. “This is going to be the start of a beautiful new life for you, Sora.”</p><p>However, Sora was still apprehensive. “Whatever. Don’t get used to it,” he groaned, dismissing the thought.</p><p>“So, what are you two drinking?” Axel inquired in an attempt to bring back his professionalism.</p><p>Roxas replied with such confidence, “My usual Jack and Coke, sir.” Axel turned to Sora, awaiting his response. Sora’s eyes darted around, indicating he had no clue how to respond.</p><p>“I can make Sora’s drink,” Riku interrupted. “Let’s see if I can figure out what you like.” Riku’s voice was low and sultry, which made Sora question if the silver haired bartender was still referring to alcoholic beverages.</p><p>Once Riku turned his back, Roxas nudged Sora again, as if to say <em>‘What do you think?’</em> Sora returned a look to the blonde, which likely translated to something along the lines of <em>‘Whoa.’</em> Roxas smirked, a clear indication of <em>‘I told you so.’</em></p><p>Sora’s gaze traveled to inspect Riku’s figure as he was prepping the drink. He wasn’t dressed as provocatively as the other employees, which Sora figured was because the bartenders’ uniforms didn’t need to be as revealing. On the other hand, Sora couldn’t help but notice how incredibly <em>striking </em>Riku looked. His features were prominent but soft, his build was strong and toned, his hair was cut perfectly to frame his face, and his eyes – his <em>eyes</em> were unbelievable. Sora easily understood why the two love-birds were so fixated on this guy. Maybe it was the alcohol setting in, or maybe it was the lighting, but Sora was impressed.</p><p>Riku turned around to face Sora once again, placing a yellow-ish drink in front of him. “It’s called a Green Tea. Let me know what you think.” Riku stood there, waiting for Sora to try his masterpiece.</p><p>Sora took a sip, his jaw dropping. “Holy shit, this is delicious!” His eyes shined brightly, going back to take another sip. “You know what you’re doing, Riku.”</p><p>The bartender chuckled lightly, amused with Sora’s reaction. “One of my many talents. You’re not the first person to tell me that.” His eyes fixated on Sora, seemingly getting darker. “I’m sure you’ll say that to me again soon. Hopefully in a different setting next time.” His smirk grew into something more sinister. Somehow Sora felt as though that comment had a lot more meaning behind it.</p><p>
  <em>God damn, what a charmer.</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I have to say - I am SO enjoying writing Riku like this. </p><p>I'm hoping to update this story every two weeks, provided I continue writing the chapters at the speed I am now. </p><p>Constructive criticism is always welcomed!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Nerve Endings</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sora’s head was getting cloudy, no thanks to the shot and the few drinks he had consumed – he lost count of the exact amount, but he knew it wasn’t nearly as much as Roxas had drank. Sora didn’t have as much practice as his blonde counterpart, to be fair. Sora felt the room surrounding him become more blurry, with his judgment getting more fervent. His blonde roommate had moved closer to his significant other, both of them getting lost in each other’s presence, while Sora and Riku were getting more acquainted with each other. Unbeknownst to anyone involved, both pairs created a distance between them, entranced in their respective partners’ aura.</p><p>Despite how hypnotized Sora felt by Riku’s appearance, he couldn’t control his emotions about the encounter he had been exposed to earlier that day; the alcohol didn’t help in that regard either. Sora began to overshare about his experiences with Kairi to Riku – who, surprisingly, provided a fantastic open ear to Sora’s debacle. “She probably didn’t notice me standing there… but seriously? She had no shame,” he recalled, bothered by what he witnessed in the lobby of the college.</p><p>Riku offered a sympathetic frown. “How could she possibly treat you like you’re disposable?” Sora got the feeling that Riku was placating him, but the reassurance was nice to hear. Sora glanced at his phone, just in case Kairi’s name had appeared on the screen, but he received nothing but a blank phone screen staring back at him. Sora’s annoyance increased, which must’ve been noticeably visible on his face, because Riku continued, “If she’s not making you a priority, then she doesn’t deserve to be treated like yours.”</p><p>Sora placed his head in his hands, elbows propped on top of the bar, considering Riku’s words. He knew the bartender had a point, but he just couldn’t put a stop to his emotions. “I know, but I’ve never felt so worthless… so unwanted. I don’t know how to deal with it.” Sora brushed his fingers through his messy brown hair before lowering them to rest on the bar.</p><p>Roxas must have noticed Sora’s change in attitude, because within seconds he was inches away from the brunette, tapping on his shoulder. “Sora,” the blonde chastised. He looked at his roommate with a stern expression. “We’re not doing this tonight. Please?” Roxas’s expression turned into one of pleading, not wanting his friend to be consumed by thoughts of Kairi and ruin the night. Sora nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat. He knew Roxas meant well and this entire night was supposed to help him forget about his current situation. Roxas mouthed a <em>thank you</em> to the brunette before focusing his attention back on his redheaded boyfriend.</p><p>“For what it’s worth, Sora,” Riku started, forcing Sora’s attention to focus back on the bartender, “anyone would be lucky to have you in their life. It’s her loss, if you ask me.” Riku placed his hand on Sora’s, which was still resting on the surface of the bar. The silver-haired man offered a bright smile, the violet aura from the lighting making the gesture seem even brighter, causing the room to spin faster. Or maybe it was the effects from the alcohol – Sora couldn’t tell. Either way, it caused a tidal wave of nerves to flood through his abdomen. The slight contact was more intoxicating than the alcohol.</p><p>Riku broke the contact as quickly as he started it, pointing at Sora’s empty glass to silently ask if he wanted another drink. Sora fumbled, internally whimpering at the loss of contact as well as the thought of more alcohol in his system.</p><p>“Yes! Yes, yes, yes. He’ll have another one,” Roxas interrupted, giving him a sly look. Sora reciprocated the look with a glare of his own.</p><p>“It’s on me,” Riku said, giving another subtle wink at the brunette as he grabbed the empty glass.</p><p>“Guess I don’t have a say in any of my decisions tonight,” Sora grumbled, which fell on deaf ears due to the volume of the music in the building. A few moments passed before Riku placed a freshly filled Green Tea drink on the coaster in front of him. “Thanks, Riku. That’s really nice of you.”</p><p>Riku laughed as though he was genuinely surprised by Sora’s statement. “I’m only nice to people that catch my attention, so congratulations.”</p><p>“It’s absolutely true,” Axel chimed in. The two love-birds must have finished their little moment of infatuation. “Most of the time, he’s throwing insults at our customers and scaring them away.” The two bartenders shared a laugh – Sora wasn’t sure if this was a running joke between the two or if Axel’s assertion held actual truth. From what Roxas told Sora before, his boyfriend made a good living for himself as a bartender at this place; Riku must not scare <em>that</em> many people away.</p><p>“What can I say, I love conflict.” Riku shrugged, unaffected by the jab at his character. He glanced around the bar area to highlight the fact that there were no other guests besides the two roommates. “Judging by how dead it is in here, we could probably shut the place down soon.”</p><p>“I like the way you think, Cochise,” Axel purred at his coworker.</p><p>“And as tradition after a slow night at work, I always have a little get-together at my place.” Riku turned his gaze to Sora, who was clueless as to why the bartender was telling him this. “You’re more than welcome to join, you two.” Riku pointed two fingers towards Sora and Roxas, respectively.</p><p>
  <em>Oh.</em>
</p><p>Roxas was immediately smitten with the idea, his posture steadily straightening in excitement. “We’d love to! Wouldn’t we, Sora?” Roxas turned to face his friend, being sure to include him in the festivities.</p><p>“Rox, we’ve got class tomorrow,” he retorted.</p><p>His roommate blinked. “Your point?” He waved a limp hand in the air, palm facing upwards, to further signify his confusion.</p><p>“I can’t skip class.”</p><p>Roxas raised a single eyebrow. “You realize you’ve skipped an entire week’s worth of classes already, right?” Sora hung his head in shame, acknowledging that Roxas was right. “Besides, it’s only eleven at night,” he said, pointing at the clock hung behind the bar. Sora made a mental note that time seemed to pass quickly, as he didn’t notice they had been here for about three hours already. “<em>And</em> our first class doesn’t start until two in the afternoon. Any other objections you’d like to try?”</p><p>Sora let out a long sigh, defeated. Damn Roxas and his logic. “Alright, why not? I’m already out anyway.”</p><p>Perhaps Riku sensed Sora’s hesitation, because he suddenly felt a strong hand grip his shoulder. “Don’t worry, I don’t bite. Not unless you ask me to,” he whispered next to the brunette’s ear, another one of Riku’s now-trademarked smirks forming in a seductive manner, sending a shiver down Sora’s spine. He had to admit, it felt good to be on the receiving end of someone’s attention. Even if that someone was a male – an admittedly <em>attractive</em> male.</p><p>Sora saw Roxas grinning like a toddler on Christmas morning out of the corner of his eye, even though his own eyes were trained on Riku’s intense stare. An unknown force was stopping Sora from being able to look away.</p><p>“I can drive these two while you close shop,” Axel offered. Sora was slightly relieved that he wouldn’t be in a car alone with Riku – he was fairly intimidated by the bartender’s charm, regardless of how much he enjoyed it – and he wasn’t fully confident with being in his presence without supervision.</p><p>“Sounds good. Spare key is-”</p><p>“Hidden in the flower pot, I know.” Axel interrupted. Apparently this wasn’t the first time Axel had joined Riku in his after-work tradition. This warranted a glare from Roxas.</p><p>“I’m glad you know how to break into Riku’s house,” he growled, jealousy burning in the blonde’s eyes.</p><p>Riku chuckled. “Don’t worry, Roxas. Your boyfriend isn’t my type. He’s not submissive enough.” Sora felt his cheeks getting hot as Axel frantically nodded in agreement.</p><p>Roxas’s expression softened. “You’re right about that one,” he said, rubbing his ass as though he were recalling a specific sexual encounter that proved Riku’s point.</p><p>“Come on, shorties. Riku can handle himself from here,” Axel beckoned as he waved a finger towards them. The two roommates gulped the remainder of their drinks before waving a temporary goodbye to Riku and following Axel to his vehicle outside.</p><p> </p><p>xXx</p><p> </p><p>To Sora’s surprise, Riku’s house was a short ten-minute drive from <em>sHE</em>, which also meant he resided fairly close to Salisbury State’s campus. He studied the building while Axel searched for the spare key Riku had mentioned earlier. Sora wasn’t sure what to expect when the trio first arrived to the destination, but he knew for a fact that he wasn’t expecting the building to be as large as it was – the outside was welcoming, with a sizable wooden porch leading to the front door. There was a small wooden swinging bench sitting on the porch with black cushions on it. The building held at least two floors, judging by the height. The dark blue siding was illuminated by the porch light, and Sora couldn’t help but notice how many windows were littered around the house, which made him question how much bigger it would seem once he stepped inside.</p><p>Axel noticed Sora (and apparently Roxas) admiring the large building and decided to shed some light on the situation. “Riku makes a killing as a dancer. Shame neither of you two were able to witness it tonight,” he informed the two roommates as he slid the key he had acquired into the lock of the front door. “Just prepare yourselves for the inside.”</p><p>Roxas and Sora shared a puzzled look with one other, interested to see what Axel meant.</p><p>As soon as the door opened, the two roommates practically ran inside from anticipation with Axel trailing behind them. He flicked a switch next to the door, revealing the layout of the first floor. The three were standing in a small foyer area, which was separated from the kitchen by half a wall. There was an entryway that led into the kitchen, where Sora noticed an island with three stools lined next to it and three large hanging ceiling lights above the island. Beyond the kitchen was another room that looked to be a dining area, but Sora couldn’t see much of it from the foyer. To the left was an enormous living room area with a large sliding-glass door on the opposite end, which was almost the entire length of the wall. As the trio traveled into the living room, Sora’s eyes became fixated on the silver pole that had been installed in the middle of the area, which made him feel a little uncomfortable as his brain flashed an image of Riku doing naughty things on the pole in question. He quickly forced his mind to focus on the other details of the room, such as the six small lights that were embedded into the ceiling – they must’ve been dimming lights. Hovering above the living room was a large balcony that overlooked the entirety of the area. It was a beautiful home – and this seemed to only be half of the first floor.</p><p>Sora also noticed how pleasant the house smelled; he came to the conclusion that it mostly resembled cranberries, but he didn’t notice any candles burning. He figured Riku’s natural scent was that of cranberries, which he rather enjoyed.</p><p>“And behold, my favorite part of the house!” Axel exclaimed, pulling open the massive sliding-glass door. The entirety of the area behind the door was enclosed in glass, with a beautiful view of the stars outside. In the middle of the room was a fairly large hot tub, which was illuminated by electric blue LED lights around the perimeter. A few wicker chairs and a wicker couch were situated next to the hot tub. Axel was right – this entire room was breathtaking.</p><p>“Jesus Christ,” Roxas whispered, his words echoing throughout the room.</p><p>As the trio were admiring the room, they heard the front door open, revealing none other than Riku. “I see Axel wasted no time showing off my secret room,” he teased, folding his arms.</p><p>“Riku, this is incredible!” Roxas exclaimed. “I want to live here.” He looked at Sora, who was strangely quiet throughout these discoveries. He nudged the brunette with his elbow, as if to hint that Riku comes with more perks than originally expected.</p><p>“You’ll have to ask your boyfriend about that one,” Riku replied with a smirk. He walked closer to the hot tub and turned it on. “I know I’ll be utilizing this thing tonight. I’ve got plenty of spare swim trunks if anyone wants to join me.”</p><p>Roxas was overjoyed. “Fuck yes! Clothes off, Ax.” The blonde motioned towards his boyfriend, tearing off the redhead’s shirt before ripping off his own.</p><p>Riku laughed as he went to the corner of the room, where a large wardrobe closet was resting. He pulled out three pairs of swim trunks before turning around to face Sora, furrowing his eyebrows. “Sorry Sora, looks like you’ll have to go naked.”</p><p>Sora’s eyes widened in panic. “Uh… I’ll just sit in the chair, thanks.”</p><p>Riku chuckled as he reached back into the wardrobe to grab another pair of trunks. “I’m kidding. Here.” Riku handed out the pairs of trunks and started undressing. As he peeled his shirt off, Sora couldn’t help but feel extremely self-conscious as he studied the bartender’s form. The tint of blue light emanating from the room perfectly outlined Riku’s toned body, showing off his muscular arms and slight hint of a six-pack around his abdomen. Sora placed a hand over his own abdomen, feeling nervous at the thought of exposing his upper body. He considered going into the hot tub with his shirt on.</p><p>All three men were openly changing in front of each other, sliding the swim trunks over their boxers with such ease. Sora stood fully clothed, not moving, as he watched everyone else effortlessly being so comfortable with being almost fully exposed to each other. Sora had seen Roxas changing in front of him plenty of times, as well as accidentally seeing Axel naked whenever he walked in on the two having sex. But something about Riku’s presence made Sora feel so incompetent.</p><p>“Everything okay, Sor?” Roxas commented, noticing Sora was frozen in place.</p><p>“I’m, uh… Where’s the bathroom?” Sora stumbled on his words.</p><p>Riku pointed out the door and to the left, and Sora couldn’t help but notice his arm flexing in the lighting of the room. He abruptly darted out of the room in search of the bathroom.</p><p>“Is he alright?” Riku inquired, a look of concern on his face.</p><p>“I’m pretty sure he’s nervous around you,” Roxas replied, offering a devilish smile.</p><p>Riku seemed proud of himself at the revelation. “Man, I thought he was straight… but now I’m wondering.”</p><p>“Sora is anything but straight, trust me,” Roxas laughed, folding his arms. “You just have to ease him into it.”</p><p>Riku didn’t respond, but his eyes wandered towards the sky in deep thought, thinking of ways to accomplish this goal. While Axel and Roxas were easing themselves into the hot tub, Riku hesitated until Sora returned to the room – he was changed into the swim trunks (which were slightly too big for him) and still adorned the white button-up he had been wearing all night.</p><p>“You are NOT ruining my shirt in this hot tub. Take that shit off,” Roxas sneered. Sora groaned in protest. “Off!” he demanded.</p><p>Sora begrudgingly unbuttoned the shirt, eventually shrugging it off his shoulders. He wrapped his arms around himself, strangely uncomfortable in his own skin.</p><p>“Before we all get situated, I’m going to grab some beers,” Riku stated. The two in the hot tub nodded in agreement, but Sora remained still. Riku began walking out of the room, but not before inching up to Sora’s slouched body. He placed a hand on the brunette’s shoulder and leaned into his ear. “You look sexy,” he whispered, causing Sora’s eyes to widen and audibly inhale before Riku strut out of the room into the kitchen.</p><p>Roxas had enough of Sora’s shenanigans. “Alright, get your pathetic looking ass in here,” Roxas commanded while beckoning the shivering brunette with his hand. Sora sauntered his way to the hot tub and climbed into the warm bubbling water, the feeling of which helped him relax as he sank deeper into the warmth.</p><p>Riku eventually appeared back into the room, expertly holding four individual beer bottles, two six-packs, and a liter of vodka, which he gently placed on the floor next to the hot tub before sliding himself into the tub, sitting himself directly next to Sora. He handed out the beers to each of the members inside the tub. “Cheers, fellas!” Riku held his beer in the air, waiting for the other three to clink their bottles together with his own.</p><p>Sora felt the looming presence of Riku in close proximity, making his stomach tighten. He also confirmed Riku’s natural scent was, in fact, that of cranberries. Sora told himself to strike up a conversation to hide his nervousness, thinking back to how he was so comfortable with Riku when talking at the bar.</p><p>As if he was reading his mind, Riku spoke first. “In order to fully enjoy this experience, I’m making everyone take a little swig of vodka.” He reached over the edge of the hot tub and grabbed the bottle of liquor, opening the cap and taking a sizable gulp. He passed it to Axel, then Roxas, and finally Sora. As he was handing it to Sora, Riku snaked an arm around the brunette’s shoulders. “I promise, this will make you feel better,” he said, again dangerously close to Sora’s ear. Sora could only offer a small smile before closing his eyes to embrace himself for the taste of another straight shot.</p><p>Sora shook his head and his face twisted up, similarly to how he reacted when he took a shot of whiskey. He immediately chased the vodka with his beer, which didn’t taste much better. The alcohol was starting to affect him again, enhancing the calming feelings of the gentle bubbles and hot water on his skin. His mind and his body started to relax even more, visibly sinking deeper into the water and into Riku’s arm. The blue hue around the hot tub was playing its own role in calming Sora’s demeanor. “I really needed this,” he breathed, looking in Roxas’s direction – unsurprisingly, he and Axel were lost in their own world, placing seductive kisses on each other’s neck.</p><p>“I’m happy to be of assistance,” Riku responded with a grin. “Those two are pretty smitten with each other, huh?” He nodded in Axel and Roxas’s direction.</p><p>Sora gave a slight chuckle. “They’re disgusting.” Neither of the two were paying enough attention to respond or notice the comments aimed at them. “Be careful, they might end up giving each other handjobs in your hot tub if they’re not stopped.”</p><p>“That’s alright, it wouldn’t be the first time this hot tub got some action.” Riku laughed before noticing the worried look on Sora’s face, in which Riku responded with a serious tone. “Don’t worry, I clean it regularly,” he said softly, not wanting to make the brunette more uncomfortable.</p><p>“Good to know.” Sora looked down at the bubbles, dragging one of his hands under the water to place it next to the jet, playing with the pressure. He moved his gaze to look up at the glass that encased the room, amazed at the view of the stars. “This is incredible.”</p><p>Riku mirrored Sora’s gaze, looking into the sky. “It is. I can’t tell you how many nights I’ve spent out here to unwind, just getting lost in my thoughts.”</p><p>"I can’t get lost in my thoughts right now.” Sora spoke softly, trying to push thoughts of Kairi to the back of his mind.</p><p>Riku pushed the bottle of vodka against the brunette’s chest. “Use this to avoid them. Believe me when I say I know from experience.”</p><p>After a slight pause, Sora obliged and took another swig, with Riku following suit. He never thought he would be this willing to consume alcohol, especially to this extent. But he had to admit, it was nice to enjoy his night out without being pestered about his poor decisions. The alcohol was definitely hitting him now, most likely enhanced by the heat of the tub. He turned his attention to the sky above him once again, but this time he felt a hand entangling itself in his hair, fingers spreading around his scalp and slowly giving a massage. Sora melted into the touch, the last of his unease subsiding in the gentle movement he felt around his scalp. He knew it was Riku doing this, but he wasn’t intimidated by this touch. It was warm, welcoming, and soothing.</p><p>“Hey, Sora?” Riku spoke his name in an affectionate way. Sora hummed in response. “You’re not worthless. And most definitely not unwanted. I really hope you realize that.” Riku continued to massage gentle circles in Sora’s hair.</p><p>Sora’s eyes closed, his mind drinking in those words. It felt so good – so <em>fucking</em> good – to hear something encouraging. He had been so hard on himself, wondering what could possibly be wrong with him to drive his girlfriend to choose someone else. He hadn’t heard something like that in months – even before Kairi left him, their relationship became so distant and he needed that reassurance. “That means more than you know, Riku.”</p><p>Sora was so drunk from hearing the words he desperately craved, and so drunk from the alcohol, that he barely noticed a pair of soft lips being placed on his as his eyes were closed. And he didn’t bother to open them, because he knew exactly who was kissing him right now. What’s more, he didn’t stop it from happening – he found himself pushing back into the kiss, still feeling Riku’s fingers in his hair, tugging gently at the roots. Riku’s lips felt so soft, so warm, and so full of <em>want</em> that Sora didn’t dare stop it from happening. The slight taste of vodka on his mouth was surprisingly sexy – as he now affiliated the taste of alcohol with Riku. The kiss didn’t deepen, but it was filled with enough desire to leave Sora hypnotized.</p><p>He opened his eyes as he felt Riku slowly pull away. His green eyes were inches away from Sora’s own blue ones, lingering in the aftermath of the exchange. “Sorry, I couldn’t help myself,” Riku whispered as he pulled his hand out of Sora’s hair and brushed a thumb along the brunette’s bottom lip before returning to his seated position.</p><p>“Fuck <em>yes, </em>Sora!” Roxas yelled, breaking the spell. He and Axel shared a high-five. Sora sank into his seat, completely mortified.</p><p>Of <em>course</em> the two love-birds would witness the kiss. Figures. Sora knew he wouldn’t live this down for the remainder of his days.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I just want to give a huge THANK YOU to everyone who has supported this story so far. You're all rockstars!</p><p>I'm uploading pretty frequently at the moment, but I can't make any promises that I'll be able to continue uploading every week. But I will do my best! This is going to be a pretty long journey so I am endlessly grateful to those of you who are willing to take the ride!</p><p>Love always.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Him</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi everyone!</p>
<p>First and foremost, I want to extend a huge 'thank you' to all who have read this story so far! Each one of you is the reason I continue writing.</p>
<p>Secondly, I feel like the chapters are slowly getting better as I start honing my writing skills. It feels so good to be writing again and I learn more each time I start typing. As I've said previously, this story is highly personal to me and I'm putting a lot of energy into it!</p>
<p>Thirdly, in case nobody has noticed yet, the titles of these chapters are all song titles from various artists that I listen to while brainstorming. Most of them are songs by Chase Atlantic - if you haven't heard of them, I highly suggest checking them out. This entire story was inspired by their music (and they set the stage for the mood of this fic). This particular chapter title was changed for pronoun purposes, but the original song title is "Her" *wink wink, nudge nudge... go listen to it* I do not claim any rights to these songs.</p>
<p>Anyway, onto the chapter!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The next morning, Sora awoke slightly confused as he realized he was back in the dragon’s nest in his dorm room. He had to gather his thoughts to confirm that last night definitely wasn’t a dream. He looked at his roommate’s bed across the room and saw the blonde and the redhead snuggled next to each other – and judging by the lack of clothing on the couple, they likely took part in sexual playtime. That didn’t come to a surprise to Sora, considering the way they were tangled with one another in the hot tub last night.</p>
<p><em>Wait, the hot tub!</em> Sora’s memories started flooding back as he remembered the hot tub. And Riku’s kiss. <em>Holy fuck, Riku kissed me.</em></p>
<p>Once he recalled that memory, he was hit with a sharp pain in his brain. He winced from the pain as he rubbed his temples. This hangover was hitting him hard – he couldn’t remember the last time he experienced a hangover, if ever. He tried to remember how he got home, vaguely recollecting an image of himself in the backseat of Axel’s car, with Roxas yelling about something involving roadhead, while Sora fiddled with a piece of paper in his hand.</p>
<p>He reached into the pocket of his jeans that he was still wearing from last night, revealing the piece of paper in question from his memory. He opened the scrap and saw Riku’s name with ten numerical digits scrawled on it. Sora didn’t remember Riku giving him his number at any point in the night, which led him to believe Riku was slick about it and slipped the paper in his pocket when he wasn’t paying attention. That smooth motherfucker.</p>
<p>Sora tossed the scrap on his desk and went to the bathroom in search of any painkiller that would attempt to quell his monstrous headache. He grabbed two Tylenol pills and swallowed them with tap water from the bathroom sink. Sora’s body ached for more water from dehydration, and he obliged by slurping the running water like a desperate animal in the desert. The abrupt intake of fluids proved to be too much for his esophagus, subsequently touching on his gag reflex. Before he knew it, he was kneeling over the toilet to expel all the water he drank, as well as the Tylenol. He felt the bitter taste of partially dissolved pills traveling back up his throat, and he wretched even more bile into the bowl.</p>
<p>Sora heard a knock on the door. “How you feeling, dude?” Roxas’s voice called from behind it. Sora was mildly shocked that he didn’t just barge through it in his typical Roxas fashion.</p>
<p>“Guh.”</p>
<p>“Great. We’ve got class in an hour.”</p>
<p>Sora groaned in protest as he rested his head on his arm, still slumped over the toilet. How the fuck Roxas could be functioning right now was beyond his wildest imagination.</p>
<p>Once Sora composed himself enough to exit the bathroom, he was met with his blonde roommate’s blue eyes trained on him, a large grin on his face. A single finger was tapping the scrap of paper that lay on the desk. “So not only did you kiss him-”</p>
<p>Sora rubbed the back of his head. “You remembered that, huh?”</p>
<p>“- But you also got his <em>digits</em>? I didn’t know you had it in you, Sor. Respect.”</p>
<p>Sora was prepared to respond, but noticed the lack of a certain redhead he saw earlier. “Did Axel leave already?”</p>
<p>“Yup. He didn’t want to stick around while you puked your brains out,” Roxas teased, picking out clothes from his drawer to change into. “So you gonna text him, or what?”</p>
<p>Sora shrugged. “I really don’t see the point.”</p>
<p>“No poi-” Roxas balked. “Do you <em>hear </em>yourself? Let me lay this down for you.” He moved himself closer to Sora, a fist inches from his face. “He’s hot as hell,” he began, throwing up a finger to begin a counter, “he’s definitely into you,” another finger up, “he’s a <em>male stripper</em>,” finger number three up, “and HOT TUB!” the fourth and final finger sprung up, before Roxas wiggled all four fingers in Sora’s face.</p>
<p>Sora was in no mood to deal with Roxas’s logic right now. “Alright, point taken. I’ll think about it.”</p>
<p>“If you’re going to puss out, then I’m dragging you back to the club tonight in case he’s there.”</p>
<p>Sora rolled his eyes. He was in no shape to go back there, but he declined to answer since he was not in the mood to argue. He started getting dressed for class, something he had not considered doing for the last week, and until now, didn’t anticipate returning anytime soon. He tossed the idea in his mind that maybe the events of last night did help him process some of his depression, at least enough to get his ass to class.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>xXx</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The two roommates were strolling down the hallway – likely reeking of alcohol from the night before, but neither of them cared much. Roxas was mostly happy that his friend had the courage to get out of the smelly bedroom and go to class. Even though the brunette refused to acknowledge Riku’s influence on this small step forward, Roxas knew Sora would be in the same depressing situation had it not been for Riku’s ‘encouragement’ last night. Although his roommate wasn’t one hundred percent back to his happy-go-lucky self, Roxas was pleased with the slight progress.</p>
<p>As the pair were passing through the busy cafe area on campus, they happened to see a small auburn-haired girl with a tall blonde-haired guy, holding hands as they strolled past with brilliant smiles plastered on their faces. Roxas’s eyes turned to Sora instantly, knowing full well that he wouldn’t react well.</p>
<p>The room moved in slow-motion when Sora locked eyes with Kairi as she passed, no effort made to hide she and Cloud’s interlocked hands. Her once-smiling expression disappeared as she walked past the two roommates; she and Cloud’s relationship was now open to the public and fully acknowledged by Sora. Kairi meekly waved in his direction as they walked, pretending as if this interaction should be normal.</p>
<p>Heat rose throughout his body, anger boiled in his blood, a lump formed in his throat, and the acid in his already queasy stomach began to rise. He propped himself on the nearest trashcan, expelling his nerves once again – this time, it was in front of a large group of students who stared at Sora with puzzled or concerned looks. He heard someone yell <em>‘You okay, man?’</em> in the distance, but he was already running back towards his dorm.</p>
<p>Roxas was directly behind him, yelling some nonsense that Sora didn’t bother listening to, because his only destination was to go back to the comfort of his nest. He had thought he could just go to class without any intrusions, but the sight of the couple together was too much to handle. He felt like he was trapped in this never-ending hold that Kairi had on him – once he thought he was able to move on, she would appear and prove him otherwise.</p>
<p>Roxas was on Sora’s heels and opened the dorm room moments after Sora ran into it. He sat next to Sora on his mess of a bed, huffing and puffing, but rubbed his back in an easing motion. At least Sora wasn’t crying, he figured.</p>
<p>“I absolutely fucking hate this…” Sora mumbled into the pillow.</p>
<p>Roxas didn’t know what to say in this situation, but he knew Sora wouldn’t choose to act like this if he could help it. “I know.” The blonde’s eyes were low, not knowing where to settle his gaze. His head turned to the desk, where Riku’s number was untouched. “Why don’t you text him?” Roxas used his head to motion towards the desk.</p>
<p>Sora didn’t respond, simply shaking his head.</p>
<p>“Fine then, we’re paying a visit.”</p>
<p>Before Sora could object, Roxas was helping him get ready to return to <em>sHE</em> once again. He didn’t push back much, because quite frankly, Sora wasn’t completely adverse to the idea of seeing Riku, now that the option was very much attainable. Even if only momentarily, thoughts of Riku kept them away from thoughts of Kairi.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>xXx</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Since it was still fairly early in the afternoon, the club did not hit its peak hour and therefore the place was pretty empty. To Sora’s dismay, the person behind the bar was not Riku, but a different brown-haired man that almost resembled Riku in his stature and haircut.</p>
<p>The two roommates took their seats at the bar and were greeted by the new bartender. “What can I get you two?”</p>
<p>Sora grimaced at the thought of alcohol. “I’ll just take a water, please.” Roxas nodded and asked for the same thing.</p>
<p>The bartender looked at the two oddly but shrugged, pouring two waters. “Guess neither of you are here for fun, huh?”</p>
<p>Roxas took this opportunity to do some digging. “We were actually here to see if Riku was working tonight.”</p>
<p>The bartender raised his eyebrows, curious. “Normally that request wouldn’t shock me, but after last night...” he squinted his eyes, studying the two men on the other side of the bar before continuing, “one of you must be Sora.”</p>
<p>The brunette was visibly surprised. “Last night? But… Um… Did we meet?” His confusion left him scratching his head.</p>
<p>“No, but he told me a little about it. I’m Terra,” he informed the two, grinning and offering a handshake to each of them.</p>
<p>“Looks like you’re the topic of conversation already,” Roxas whispered. The revelation made butterflies flutter in Sora’s stomach.</p>
<p>The two roommates introduced themselves properly before Sora settled on continuing the conversation from his growing curiosity. “So… What exactly did Riku tell you?” he asked, somewhat hesitantly.</p>
<p>“Enough to know that he’s into you,” Terra smirked through his words. Sora was slightly agitated about the lack of details, but couldn’t hide the smile growing on his face.</p>
<p>“Care to share with the class?” Roxas chimed in.</p>
<p>Terra laughed while shrugging his shoulders. “Listen, even though he’s my best friend, he’s not really the type to spill the beans about all his sexual encounters.”</p>
<p>“Wait, <em>what?</em>” Roxas’s voice raised to a shriek. “Sora! I didn’t know about this!”</p>
<p>“No, no, no!” Sora was shaking his hands in protest. “There were no sexual encounters!”</p>
<p>“Well whatever,” Terra sighed, “all I know is you’re his new project. Take that how you will.”</p>
<p>Sora pondered on Terra’s words. <em>Project?</em> “I’m going to the bathroom,” he declared, pushing himself off the bar stool.</p>
<p>Roxas waited until his friend disappeared out of sight. His eyes locked onto Sora’s phone that was so conveniently left behind, cooking up a brilliant idea. He swiped the phone in his hands, instantly guessing the four-digit pass-code (Sora’s birthday – so predictable) and searching for Riku’s phone number. Luckily for Roxas, the brunette had already saved Riku’s contact information into the device.</p>
<p><em>What a hopeless sap</em>, Roxas thought to himself as he began typing a new message to the silver-haired bartender.</p>
<p>The blonde could feel Terra’s eyes watching him as he typed ‘<em>Hey there :)’</em> without hesitation. “Can I help you?” he raised an eyebrow towards the brunette bartender, whose eyes were unmoving.</p>
<p>“Isn’t that Sora’s phone?”</p>
<p>Roxas rolled his eyes, annoyed with his genius being questioned. “Actually, I’m aiding a helpless friend with getting laid to get over his bitchy ex. You should do your due diligence and help your friend get laid too.”</p>
<p>Terra didn’t need to say anything; his confused expression said it all.</p>
<p>Roxas sighed once again. “Just fucking text Riku and tell him Sora’s here,” he waved a frustrated hand in Terra’s direction, “and trust in my plan.”</p>
<p>Terra stretched a hand out to Roxas for a handshake. “I’m in.” The two shook hands as though they were sealing a deal.</p>
<p>Roxas looked back at the phone to see a response text from Riku: ‘<em>Hey! So good to hear from ya.’</em> He happened to notice that Terra had executed his part of the deal and was currently texting the man in question about Sora’s presence as well. The blonde frowned when he saw a notification on the phone with Kairi’s name instead of Riku’s. Roxas opened the text briefly, but didn’t bother to read the contents of the message; he closed it immediately so Sora wouldn’t notice it.</p>
<p>Roxas looked over his shoulder when he heard the bathroom door open, watching Sora emerge and make his way back to the bar. He quickly typed ‘<em>I need to get stuffed’</em> before clicking the screen off and placing the phone back on the bar, cupping his hand against his mouth to hide his laughter.</p>
<p>The unsuspecting brunette settled back into his stool as Roxas and Terra shared a stifled smile with each other. He picked up his phone and checked his messages (something Roxas did not prepare for so soon), immediately taking note of the latest conversation with Riku – his heart fell to his stomach when he read the most recent text in the chat bubble.</p>
<p>“Roxas-” Sora started, his hand clenching the phone, “what the FUCK did you do?!” Roxas started laughing as Sora went to punch the blonde’s shoulder, but his actions were interrupted when his phone began ringing. Riku’s name appeared on the screen.</p>
<p>Roxas couldn’t hide his grin. “Hey, it got his attention.”</p>
<p>Sora flashed his gritted teeth at his roommate before answering the phone. “Riku? I’m so sorry, my roommate’s an idiot.”</p>
<p>“<em>I had a feeling Roxas was behind this,”</em> Riku laughed into the speaker. <em>“Am I also supposed to believe Terra’s lying about you looking for me at the club?”</em></p>
<p>“What…?” He trailed off, looking at the brunette bartender, who cleared his throat and turned away from Sora’s stare.</p>
<p>“<em>It’s alright. You’re still there, right?” </em>he cooed into the phone.</p>
<p>Sora looked at his blonde roommate, who was currently offering two thumbs up and a wide smile for him. “Uh... Yeah…” he confessed, dragging his words out. His nerves were building up in his stomach, once again.</p>
<p>“<em>Don’t leave. I’ll be there soon.”</em> The line clicked abruptly, leaving Sora stunned.</p>
<p>“You’ll thank me later,” Roxas smiled, patting Sora’s back in a loving manner.</p>
<p>“I fucking hate you.” Although the words were malicious, Sora couldn’t help but smirk at the thought of meeting up with Riku again, secretly thanking his friend.</p>
<p>Approximately thirty minutes later, Riku graced the three gentlemen with his presence as he ever-so gracefully waltzed through the front door. Sora turned to the entrance to meet his gaze with the silver-haired beauty – his eyes instantly drawn to the high-fashioned man, looking like a supermodel in his designer clothes. Sora’s jaw nearly dropped at the sight.</p>
<p>Riku was adorning red Giuseppe low-top sneakers, which blended well with the dark-wash jeans he was wearing (a brand in which Sora did not recognize, although he assumed they were also designer). Sora’s eyes traveled higher, noticing the small ‘G’ on Riku’s slim belt that wove between the belt loops of his jeans. A <em>very</em> sexy black Burberry long-sleeve dress shirt was tucked loosely in his jeans, the inside of the collar by his neck flashed a subtle red-and-black argyle print. As Riku drew closer to Sora’s seat, he couldn’t help but recognize the scent of Armani cologne he wore – the same scent that Roxas had. It wasn’t the natural smell of raspberries that Sora had thoroughly enjoyed, but Armani was just as good. Riku’s eyes seemed to shine brighter from the aura he presented in his clothing – his hair was perfectly styled to frame his face, bangs lightly playing on his forehead to sometimes conceal his eyes when he looked down.</p>
<p>Both Roxas and Sora were astonished as they watched the man seat himself directly next to Sora; their mouths were agape, unable to process how <em>fucking hot</em> Riku looked. The silver-haired bartender (or patron, at this moment in time) greeted Terra with a firm handshake and a smile. Sora’s eyes were drinking in Riku’s appearance, darting up and down his figure. At this point, he couldn’t deny his attraction to the guy if he tried. His heart was racing.</p>
<p>“Hey.” Riku’s voice interrupted Sora’s thoughts.</p>
<p>“Hey.”</p>
<p>The two beamed at each other, slightly awkward but brimming with attraction.</p>
<p>“How you feeling today?” Riku cooed, stretching his arm around the back of Sora’s bar stool, lightly touching the brunette’s arm with his fingers.</p>
<p>“Really shitty, actually. Thanks for that.”</p>
<p>“He yacked twice as far as I know,” Roxas blurted, at Sora’s expense.</p>
<p>Riku smiled as he shook his head. “Take a shot with me. It’ll help you feel better.”</p>
<p>“Hell no. Are you trying to kill me?”</p>
<p>“Absolutely not. It’s a well-known fact that taking a shot will help your hangover. Right Terra?” Riku glanced at his fellow coworker and best friend, who nodded in agreement. “Roxas, you in? It’s on me.”</p>
<p>Roxas didn’t need any more convincing. “Let’s do it. Sora, you don’t have a choice.”</p>
<p>Sora groaned as he placed his head in his hands, reailzing that he didn’t have a choice in much of anything these days.</p>
<p>“Whiskey, please. Might as well get a pickle-back for this one over here,” Riku teased, nodding towards Sora. “And feel free to join us, if you want.”</p>
<p>Terra obliged, pulling four shot glasses out and pouring Jameson into each of them, one with a side of with pickle juice, just the same as Riku had done for Sora the night prior. He divvied them to everyone, raising his own shot glass in anticipation for the others to clink their glasses together in cheers.</p>
<p>Sora grimaced at the smell, but forced himself to push the hesitation deep down so he could take part. He still needed the pickle juice chaser, but didn’t wince as much as he did last night, which he took as a victory. Especially considering his hangover.</p>
<p>“I’m impressed, Sora,” Riku spoke next to Sora’s ear. He needed to stop doing that – it was entirely too dangerous. “Such an improvement already.”</p>
<p>The brunette felt the hair on his arms stiffen from the sound of Riku’s voice. “I’ve had a really good teacher,” he replied in an attempt to reciprocate the flirtatious behavior; it was fun to tease, and Sora wanted to ooze confidence like Riku. Sora glanced in his roommate’s direction, hoping to get some support, but Roxas had glued himself to his phone – likely texting Axel to ask him to join in the festivities.</p>
<p>“So what’s up with Kairi?” Riku asked, slight hesitation laced in his voice.</p>
<p>“She’s… um-” Sora started, looking down at his hands and swallowing the lump forming in his throat, “She’s with someone.”</p>
<p>“Ouch. She wasted no time, huh?”</p>
<p>Sora took in a deep breath before looking up at Riku with tears gathering in his eyes. “I never said this out loud, because I didn’t want it to be true, but I think… I think she cheated on me.” He continued taking deep breaths to calm himself as he said it. “I think they were together way before she broke things off with me.” Sora closed his eyes as a single tear rolled down his cheek.</p>
<p>Riku’s soft thumb wiped the tear off the brunette’s cheek. “You’re stronger than you think, Sora. Drowning in denial would only make matters worse. And here you are dealing with it instead of denying it.”</p>
<p>Sora opened his eyes to look directly into the green ones in front of him. “Riku?”</p>
<p>“Hm?” Riku cocked his head to the side as he hummed.</p>
<p>“Tell me the truth… Do you think she cheated on me?”</p>
<p>The silver-haired man frowned. “Listen. I don’t know Kairi and I don’t know your relationship,” he said firmly, looking into Sora’s blue eyes that were shining from the tears building up, “but believe me when I say I’ve been in your situation. If your gut instinct tells you she cheated, then she probably did.”</p>
<p>Sora nodded slowly and wiped away the remainder of his tears. “What did she- or, he?- do to you?”</p>
<p>Riku smirked his trademark smirk. “She. And let’s just say, she burned me bad. But since then, I’ve learned that I’m not one for commitment.”</p>
<p>Sora furrowed his brow. “No relationships since then?”</p>
<p>“Nope.” Riku shook his head as he said it. “Not for the last six years. But that’s the great thing about bad breakups,” he leaned in closer to the brunette, “you learn more about yourself and take something away from it. Maybe your great discovery is that you’re <em>also</em> into guys.” He leaned closer to Sora as he said it, smirking while he flicked a teasing finger under the brunette’s chin. Riku’s scent was mesmerizing, his stare was fierce, and his touch felt like fire. Sora bit his lip while he concentrated on Riku’s lips, remembering how it felt to kiss them. Maybe he had a point – Sora thoroughly enjoyed Riku’s presence and their flirtatious exchanges.</p>
<p>“Christ, will you two get a room?!” Roxas exclaimed, his voice breaking the pair out of their trance. “Axel’s here to pick me up, so call me if you need me, Sora.”</p>
<p>“Wait, you’re leaving?” Sora was shocked; he didn’t expect Roxas to leave him alone here.</p>
<p>“I think you’re in good hands,” Roxas smiled, winking at Riku. “Have fun, kids.” He waved goodbye as he exited the building.</p>
<p>Sora blinked. “Well, I’ve been ditched again.”</p>
<p>Riku chuckled and waved for Terra’s attention. “Could you do me a favor and make a Malibu Bay Breeze for Sora? I’ll take a Patron on the rocks.” Terra gave a thumbs up and started making the drinks.</p>
<p>“Malibu… what?” Sora questioned.</p>
<p>“Bay Breeze. Sounds gay, I know, but it tastes like juice. You’ll love it.”</p>
<p>The blue-eyed novice shrugged, trusting that Riku was the expert here and knew what Sora would enjoy. The pink drink was placed in front of his person, looking even more gay than it sounded. Once Sora took a sip, though, he was in love. Riku was right – it was basically juice.</p>
<p>“They can be dangerous, so pace yourself. They hit you like a truck after a few,” Riku warned after he noticed Sora practically chugging the drink.</p>
<p>As the night progressed and the sky grew darker, the club started to fill; the busiest section being the lower level with the dancers giving lap dances and clients littering the tables. But Sora and Riku were lost in their own world, turned towards each other on the stools of the bar, ignoring the hoards of people around them as best they could. Some people who entered the club were regulars and immediately recognized Riku, striking up a conversation with him and ultimately interrupting their time together. Sora caught himself feeling small pangs of jealousy when this happened, because he wanted all of Riku’s attention. And Riku had this amazing ability to make Sora feel like he was the only person in the room when his eyes were trained on him.</p>
<p>“Sora?”</p>
<p>Riku’s voice ripped him from his thoughts. “Yes?”</p>
<p>“Come with me,” he commanded, standing up out of his stool and offering a hand. “It’s too loud out here.”</p>
<p>Sora felt his cheeks turn red, more excitement than he had expected rushing through his being. He took Riku’s hand and let him lead the way. Sora trailed behind the silver-haired beauty, hands still clasped together, as he was being escorted past the lower level of the building, walking through the doors in the back. Behind the doors was a spiral staircase, which they climbed until they reached the upper floor – Sora didn’t know this entire second-story existed. He looked around his surroundings and noticed many rooms that were blocked off by large, velvet, red curtains; most of them were opened, but some were closed (he assumed they were occupied).</p>
<p>Riku led Sora to one of the empty rooms; the red-headed bouncer that was outside the club last night guarded the entrance to this particular room. He grunted at Riku, who simply stated, “It’s all good, Lex. I’m off the clock.”</p>
<p>The brute nodded and stepped away from the entrance. Riku took Sora into the room and closed the velvet curtain behind them. There was a pole installed in the middle of the room with a decently-sized couch against the wall. Before Sora could process the remainder of the room, he was pushed onto the couch by Riku, who quickly straddled Sora’s lap and was millimeters away from his blue eyes.</p>
<p>“Normally people pay for this, but for you…” Riku’s hands were resting on the brunette’s shoulders, rubbing the cloth on his shirt as he spoke, “This is all free.” His mouth was so close to Sora’s ear, the words made his breath hitch. Sora put his hands on Riku’s hips, signaling that he wasn’t opposed to their proximity. “I’ve wanted to devour you all day,” Riku whispered, nipping at Sora’s ear.</p>
<p>Sora couldn’t hide the smile that was plastered on his face. He closed his eyes as Riku aggressively kissed him, the softness from their kiss the night before was completely absent – this kiss was laced with hunger and desire.</p>
<p>Heat. Friction. Temptation. Sora felt the arousal growing in his jeans from the feel of Riku’s hips lightly pushing into his own. Riku made it painstakingly clear that he was an expert in stimulation simply from <em>touching</em>. His kiss grew more greedy – he began to use his tongue to explore Sora’s own, but it wasn’t sloppy like most ravenous make-outs the brunette had experienced in the past. Riku was tactful, pulling his tongue away with precision, making Sora search for the tongue whenever he felt it suddenly disappear. Their tongues would collide once again, the taste of liquor on their breath, occasional hungry grip of each other’s clothes as their kiss deepened. Sora loved how Riku touched, felt, and breathed into the intimacy. If his eyes were open, they’d be rolling to the back of his head.</p>
<p>Riku somehow knew how to play; how to make every little brush of his fingers matter – especially when they would skim along the brunette’s neck gracefully. Sora would grab tighter onto Riku’s hips whenever he felt his touch – it was incredibly captivating.</p>
<p>Then his stupid fucking cellphone started ringing.</p>
<p>Without breaking their kiss, Sora fished into his pocket to take out his phone. Riku didn’t seem to care and continued to assault Sora’s lips. He hesitantly opened his eyes to glance at the screen, which read ‘<em>KAI’ </em>across the screen. “Fuck,” Sora breathed, finally breaking the kiss. “Sorry, I need to get this.” His mind was too clouded for him to process the confusion as to why she was calling him right now.</p>
<p>Riku removed himself from Sora’s lap, respecting his distance, but not without a dejected look on his face.</p>
<p>“Kairi?”</p>
<p>Riku immediately frowned when he heard Sora mutter her name.</p>
<p>“<em>Are you ignoring me now?”</em></p>
<p>“What are you talking about? I answered the phone.”</p>
<p>“<em>I texted you earlier.”</em></p>
<p>He furrowed his brow. “I never got a text from you.”</p>
<p>“<em>Oh sure, I see how it is.”</em></p>
<p>Sora opened his mouth to protest, but recalled a certain roommate having access to his phone earlier and silently cursed his name before responding. “I really never saw it. I’m sorry, Kairi. You know I would’ve responded if I did.”</p>
<p>Kairi’s voice became elevated. <em>“And what </em><em>exactly </em><em>ha</em><em>s been more important than answering me</em><em>, Sora?”</em></p>
<p>His eyes turned toward the silver-haired man next to him, who returned his look with a blank stare. “Nothing, I was just sleeping.” A small feeling of guilt rose in his gut for lying, and hiding the truth about Riku. But if there was any possibility of Kairi coming back into his life, he was going to take it.</p>
<p>“<em>So we can </em><em>finally</em><em> talk for a bit?” </em><em>s</em>he teased, using a tone he hadn’t heard in months.</p>
<p>“Give me ten minutes, I’ll call you back,” Sora said sternly, his eyes still trained on Riku. He ended the call before Kairi could respond, licking his lips from the nervousness rising in his throat at the thought of telling Riku that he wanted to go home.</p>
<p>Luckily, though, Riku was used to this type of interruption and spoke in a calm manner. “I get it. I’ll pay for your cab.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out at least fifty dollars in cash, handing it to Sora. The brunette started to shake his head in protest, but Riku interrupted. “Seriously, take it. You don’t want to argue with me.” His voice deepened and the cash was pushed into Sora’s lap.</p>
<p>“I’m so sorry, Riku…” Sora couldn’t help but apologize, looking down at his lap where the money was placed. Everything about this felt dirty.</p>
<p>Riku smirked once again and got close to the forlorn man’s face. “Trust me, it’s fine. Text me?”</p>
<p>Sora gave a soft smile. “Sure.”</p>
<p>Riku stood up, adjusting the steadily decreasing bulge in his pants, with Sora trailing behind him once again as he dialed the number for a cab service on his phone. The pair exited the room, descending the spiral staircase into the first floor of the club. Riku walked the brunette out of the door, waiting outside with him in an almost-awkward silence before the cab driver arrived to take Sora home.</p>
<p>After waving goodbye, Riku returned back into the club, seating himself on a bar stool once again – this time, alone. Terra appeared to greet his friend, a puzzled expression on his face. “I’m guessing things didn’t work out too well up there?”</p>
<p>Riku sighed. “Nothing out of the ordinary. He’s still caught up with his girl.” The green-eyed man shrugged, refusing to show any signs of being bothered about the situation. Terra poured a Patron on the rocks for his friend and placed it on a coaster. Riku nodded in appreciation and continued, “Yet another reason why I refuse to commit.”</p>
<p>“You’re looking in all the wrong places, man.”</p>
<p>“I’m not <em>looking</em> anywhere. You got lucky with Aqua – you were both desperate enough to make it work,” he said, teasing Terra with a smirk.</p>
<p>“Or maybe we were meant to find each other at the right time, asshole,” Terra laughed, knowing Riku meant no ill will towards their relationship. “Eventually you’ll meet someone who won’t use you, and you’ll understand. Sora might even be that someone, once you break him.”</p>
<p>Riku took a sip of his drink, considering Terra’s words before speaking. “I plan on using him for my own gratification, just the same as he’s using me for his. I don’t see the harm in using our bodies for each other’s sexual needs.”</p>
<p>Terra shook his head in defeat. He knew his best friend was too stubborn to change his mind. “Whatever you say, Riku.”</p>
<p>At that moment, Riku’s eyes jolted to his phone as it lit up with a notification; a text from none other than the brunette they were referring to.</p>
<p>‘<em>I still feel really bad…’ </em>it read.</p>
<p>Riku couldn’t help but smile at the words, the feeling of slight victory washing over him. <em>‘Please, don’t’ </em>he sent, pausing briefly before continuing to type. ‘<em>But if you want to make it up to me…’ </em>He hesitated slightly before he hit the send button, expecting silence.</p>
<p>After a few minutes of watching the bubble of ellipses appear and disappear, a response appeared. <em>‘</em><em>It depends.’</em></p>
<p>Riku smirked, thinking this was a sign that he could still charm the innocent brunette into his bed. <em>‘Come to my house tomorrow. Bring anyone you want.’ </em>He knew exactly who Sora would bring – Roxas and Axel, who were obviously supporters of their hook-up.</p>
<p>‘<em>Deal. See ya tomorrow!’ </em>A blushing emoticon followed the text.</p>
<p>“See, Terra? He’s hooked now,” Riku boasted, flashing his phone to the bartender.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Right Here</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything Kingdom Hearts (sadly...), nor do I own Taking Back Sunday or The Weeknd. </p><p>AUTHOR'S NOTE: Ladies and gents, it's here. *Looks down* Is that smut I see down there? Also, pierced Riku is best Riku. He is a god. And apparently marijuana makes Sora horny. Tags have been added. Have fun, my friends!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sora was back in his dorm room, his roommate nowhere to be seen (he deduced that Roxas was spending the night at Axel’s, considering it was Friday night). He and Kairi had been talking on the phone for about an hour at this point, most of which was a healthy conversation, and Sora was finally getting around to cleaning up the general mess that littered the majority of his bed.</p><p>“<em>You know, Sora… I still love talking to you,” </em>Kairi’s voice oozed into the speaker.</p><p>He was in the middle of picking up a stray sock on the floor, but stopped in his tracks when he heard that. “R-Really?”</p><p>“<em>Of course, silly! We were best friends forever. Of course I’d still want you in my life.”</em></p><p>Sora’s heart became so giddy from hearing these words, he could hardly contain a smile. But his brain struggled to make sense of the mixed signals, and he retorted. “Then why aren’t we still together?”</p><p>The silence was deafening on the other line. He wanted to take back what he said – maybe he took it too far. He internally panicked as he felt his nerves getting twisted in his stomach, until he heard a sigh from Kairi. <em>“I don’t know, Sora… I just need to find the spark again.”</em></p><p>“So you decide to find it by dating someone else?” Sora frowned. He probably shouldn’t have said that either, but the pain he felt made him reactionary.</p><p>“<em>Listen. Think of it this way,”</em> she started – Sora could hear her bed squeaking as she adjusted her position. <em>“I don’t know Cloud the way I know you. In time, he could drive me straight into your arms once I realize what I’ve been missing.” </em></p><p>Sora closed his eyes, trying to process this information. It seemed like a possibility, and made sense that it could end up working out in his favor. He wasn’t happy about it, but tossed around the notion in his brain.</p><p>“<em>You just have to give it time, Bear.” </em>Kairi used the nickname she had specifically reserved for him. Hearing that made him melt, and she knew it would. Her voice was like honey.</p><p>“Okay, Kai. I’ll give it time,” he whispered.</p><p>She giggled into the phone. <em>“I’m going to get some sleep. You should do the same.” </em>She paused briefly, likely adjusting her position in her bed once again to get comfortable. <em>“Sweet dreams, Bear.”</em></p><p>The lovesick brunette let out a pleased hum. “You too, love.” He ended the phone call, collapsing onto his bed and releasing a hefty sigh. Sora stared at the empty ceiling above him, trying to put his thoughts in order. He pictured Kairi, smiling brightly at him with arms wide open, inviting him into a comforting embrace. He wrapped his arms around himself as if to mimic the embrace, closing his eyes to get lost in the feeling.</p><p>Once his eyes closed, though, an image of Riku invaded his thoughts. His eyes quickly shot open, blinking a few times in surprise. He wasn’t expecting to picture Riku, but suddenly his brain became flooded with thoughts of him – the feel of his lips, the scent of cranberries, the sound of his voice… it all made Sora’s heart flutter. He remembered that he agreed to go to Riku’s house tomorrow, and almost instantly the guilty feelings returned. Sora brought a thumb to his lips, tracing small circles around his mouth as he got lost in thought. He wanted to kiss Riku again – he <em>really</em> wanted to. But if he was secretly kissing Riku, and Kairi somehow found out, it would ruin any chances to get back together with her. <em>But she’s in another fucking relationship, idiot!</em> Sora argued with himself internally, turning onto his side and biting his nail in thought.</p><p>Sora tried creating a mental pros-and-cons list, with Kairi on one side and Riku on the other. He sifted through their traits, trying to make sense of his feelings towards each of them. He was in love with Kairi, but he was incredibly infatuated with Riku – and Riku was filling the void in his heart. His guilt was overwhelming – on one hand, he felt like he was being unfaithful to Kairi, and on the other hand, he felt like he was taking advantage of Riku. He grunted, becoming more frustrated from the inability to make any rational sense of it all. He came to the conclusion that he couldn’t bail on Riku; at the very least, he was becoming a valuable friend who was helping Sora recover from his heartbroken state.</p><p>He unlocked his phone screen and searched for the text conversation between he and Roxas. He started typing: <em>‘</em><em>Would you and Axel want to come to Riku’s house with me tomorrow night? He told me to invite anyone I want.’</em></p><p>Almost instantly, Roxas responded with <em>‘</em><em>Yea, we’ll help u get laid dude</em><em>’</em> and a rather vulgar emoticon of a finger pointing into an ‘okay’ signal.</p><p>Sora laughed at his roommate’s crude response and shook his head, gently closing his eyes before drifting to sleep – all this mental organization was exhausting.</p><p> </p><p>xXx</p><p> </p><p>Two shirts were sprawled across his bed, sapphire eyes darting between the two as he stood in contemplation on which one to wear tonight; arms were folded across his chest, one elbow propped on his folded hand while he chewed on his thumb nail. He felt the two other men in the room staring at him in amusement, but tried his best to ignore them – this choice was dire.</p><p>“Just remember, short-stuff,” Axel’s voice called from across the room, “he’s going to toss you to the curb if you don’t look presentable.”</p><p>Roxas smacked his boyfriend on the arm. “Fuck off. He’s stressed enough as it is.”</p><p>“I’d really appreciate some help, here.” Sora turned around to glare at the couple, who were comfortably seated on his roommate’s bed, leaning against the wall and sharing a bowl of popcorn.</p><p>Roxas shook his head. “I did all the work for you the first night. You’re welcome, by the way.” He grabbed a handful of popcorn. “I can’t be your crutch forever, you know,” he said, stuffing the popcorn into his mouth.</p><p>Sora conceded that both of them were useless, and turned to look back at the shirts in on his bed. One was a light gray sweater, slightly baggy on the brunette’s small frame but flattering enough – the other was white v-neck tee shirt, coupled with a light, black leather jacket to cover his arms in the cold weather. Both options seemed underwhelming when compared to Riku’s designer-type fashion sense. He never imagined he would be stressing about his clothing choice in an attempt to gain the attention of another male.</p><p>“This is riveting, Sora. Really,” Roxas blurted, breaking the brunette’s concentration. “Just pick whatever comes off easier.”</p><p>“Unf.” Sora’s grunt echoed throughout the room, trying not to imagine any naughty happenings in which his clothes would be removed. He picked up the boring v-neck tee shirt to change into – subconsciously due to Roxas’s comment – and covered it with the leather jacket.</p><p>Axel stood up from the comfort of his boyfriend’s bed. “Well, it’s about goddamn time.” He offered his hand to Roxas, who grabbed it and hoisted himself off the mattress. “Let’s go, lover-boy,” the redhead directed towards Sora, his green eyes burning with judgment.</p><p>The three approached Axel’s fire-red vehicle, Sora fumbling with the door handle to the back seat. He felt the vibration of his phone in his pocket as he opened the door and scooted into the seat. When he pulled the phone from his pocket, he was met with a text notification from Kairi, who was inquiring his whereabouts at the moment.</p><p>As Axel turned the ignition to start his car, he looked in the rear-view mirror and saw the brunette looking down at his phone, his face illuminated by the brightness of the screen. “Ignore it,” he simply stated.</p><p>Sora looked up, locking eyes with him in the reflection of the mirror. “How did you-”</p><p>“Just turn the damn thing off,” he said as he turned the dial to increase the volume of the stereo, the sound of Taking Back Sunday filling the speakers. “If you’re focused on responding to her, your night will be ruined.”</p><p>Sora continued to stare at Roxas’s boyfriend blankly, unsure how to react. The lyrics from <em>Cute Without the ‘E’</em> continued in the silence.<br/><br/></p><p>‘<em>I’ll never let you hold me back.</em>’<br/><br/></p><p>“Don’t let her control you more than she already has,” the red-head continued. Roxas was beaming in pride at Axel’s wise words.<br/><br/></p><p>‘<em>Why can’t I – feel – any-thing from any-one o-ther than you.’<br/><br/></em></p><p>Sora never related so much to the song that he’d heard at least one hundred and twenty-six times, but something about it in conjunction with Axel’s words compelled him to agree, and he turned off the phone without responding to Kairi. That small victory was somehow cathartic.<br/><br/></p><p>‘<em>I stay wrecked and jealous for this – for this simple reason, I-’</em><br/><br/></p><p>He looked out the window as Axel drove, genuinely lost in thought with the music playing in the background. A smile was slowly growing on his cheeks while he felt a sense of freedom and happiness that was new and refreshing.</p><p>Soon enough, they pulled up to the building that was Riku’s home. Several other vehicles were parked along the street, signifying that many other guests were invited, which Sora was not expecting. The lump in his stomach rose to his throat as he slammed the door to Axel’s car behind him, hearing a <em>thumpthumpthump</em> of music coming from the house. He felt his heart skip a beat as the trio approached the familiar wooden porch, with Axel snaking his arm around his blonde partner’s waist. Sora mustered up the courage to ring the doorbell, not entirely sure if anyone inside would be able to hear it.</p><p>After what felt like an eternity (but was realistically about two minutes), someone opened the door, but to Sora’s dismay, it wasn’t Riku. This person was actually a female – she was gorgeous, with a motherly aura about her. She had icy blue hair and eyes of the same color, with a generally soft demeanor. She looked at the three men and smiled as if she recognized them. “Oh, <em>finally!</em>” She clapped her hands together and laughed in a giddy manner. “RI-KU! YOUR FRIENDS ARE HE-RE!” she shouted into the abyss of the home, not in any specific direction. She turned her attention back on the trio before she introduced herself. “I’m Aqua! Terra’s fiance.”</p><p>Axel spoke first, being the most familiar with her name. “Terra has told me all about you, but I’ve never actually seen you at the bar.” He offered his hand, but Aqua flicked the hand away and pulled him into a hug. She then greeted the two roommates with hugs after Axel introduced them, both men feeling equally comfortable in her embrace – possibly due to the general <em>light</em> she exuded. Who knew Terra would be engaged to someone so approachable.</p><p>All three men proceeded into the house, with Aqua guiding them into the kitchen area where Terra was seated on one of the stools by the island that Sora saw a peek of a few nights ago. After formal greetings, he stood up and grabbed a few beers from the fridge for the trio. Since there was still no sign of Riku, Terra took it upon himself to yell for him, louder than his fiance had done a few minutes ago. “RI-KU! GET DOWN HERE!”</p><p>Terra’s beckoning must’ve worked, because none other than Riku emerged from the staircase that was in the room beyond the kitchen, his expression brightening once he laid eyes on Sora.</p><p>“I’m so glad you made it,” he said, opening his arms to hug the brunette, then smiling brightly at Axel and Roxas.</p><p>Sora tightly embraced the silver-haired man, taking in his scent and melting in his muscular arms. When he pulled away, he took the time to observe Riku in all his glory – gray lace-up ankle boots on his feet andblack jeans that gently hugged his thighs. His black button-up shirt had short sleeves, exposing his muscular arms, and there was a dark gray vest wrapped around the button-up. Sora looked to his face, immediately noticing a new addition – a silver ring on the left side of his lower lip.</p><p>“Is that new?” Sora pointed to his own lip, not wanting to touch the puncture in Riku’s face.</p><p>“Oh, right,” he said, using his tongue to twist the ring in a circular motion. “I’ve had it for years, but sometimes I take it out.” Riku shrugged it off casually, continuing to play with the piercing.</p><p>If Sora was being perfectly honest with himself, he thought it made Riku even more sexy – if that was even possible. It was another strategic way to tease him, as if to say <em>‘please kiss me.’</em></p><p>Riku frowned in Sora’s silence. “Does it bother you?”</p><p>He shook his head frantically. “No! Just the opposite, actually…” he trailed off as he stared at the guy longingly, biting his own lip.</p><p>Riku chuckled and returned the gesture with that smirk. “Good, because I’ve got more.”</p><p>Before Sora could question that statement, the green-eyed man turned to the freezer and pulled out a bottle of chilled cherry-flavored vodka. “Now that the guest of honor has arrived, let us celebrate.”</p><p>Sora took in a deep breath, preparing himself for the slew of alcohol he was likely to consume for the remainder of the night. These people really knew how to party – such is the life of a bartender/stripper, he supposed. Plus, he liked the thought of being the ‘guest of honor.’</p><p>Riku prepared several small plastic shot glasses for the group in the kitchen, pouring all shots with ease, and raising his cup in the typical fashion they would for a cheers, something Sora was also getting used to.</p><p>The group gulped their shots expertly, almost choreographed in unison. Sora already felt the alcohol hitting him, as his nerves prevented him from eating any food all day. He was determined to hang as long as he could, though – being surrounded by friends was turning into his happy place.</p><p>“Alright, please tell me you have beer pong set up in the garage,” Axel spoke up soon after recovering from the shot.</p><p>Riku smiled. “Who the fuck do you think I am? Let’s go.” He motioned for the group to follow him, leading them through the room beyond the kitchen, past the staircase, and through a door that opened into a huge garage-looking area, but it was fully furnished, carpet and all. Two couches aligned the walls, a pool table was in the middle of the room, and a plastic makeshift table was set up in the other corner of the room, already set with six red solo cups aligned in a triangle on each end, with an unopened pack of ping-pong balls that lay in the middle of the table.</p><p>“You’re the man, Cochise,” Axel said to his fellow bartender, patting him on the shoulder before he walked to the table, wasting no time in breaking open the pack of ping-pong balls. “Alright Roxy, you’re my partner.” Roxas waltzed over to his boyfriend in agreement.</p><p>Aqua and Terra locked arms, signifying they were also a team.</p><p>Riku looked at Sora, assuming they would be partners since the others were coupled already. “You ever play beer pong before?” He nudged Sora’s side as he asked.</p><p>“I’ve seen people play before, but I never have,” he confessed. He knew the general principle, but didn’t know exact details about the rules.</p><p>“Okay, we’ll play the watered-down version.” He grabbed a few water bottles from underneath the table and poured just enough into the cups. “Instead of chugging the beer, we’ll just take a swig whenever a cup is removed.”</p><p>Roxas gave an evil laugh. “Ohhhh Sora, today is the day I single-handedly get you completely obliterated.”</p><p>Sora gulped, knowing that his roommate was right – he had no chance of surviving.</p><p>“I’ll take that as a challenge, Roxas,” Riku growled. “You and Axel against me and Sora, then? Sorry guys, you’ll have to challenge the winner,” he said to Terra and Aqua.</p><p>“That’s fine, we’ll just play pool in the meantime.” Terra declared, helping himself to two pool sticks.</p><p>Riku grabbed Sora by the waist and moved him to the edge of the table. He leaned into his ear and whispered, “Alright, is your aim any good?”</p><p>Sora shivered from the feel of Riku’s breath on his ear, but quickly composed himself. “Sober? Great. Drunk… I have no clue.”</p><p>Riku chuckled in his ear. “We’ve got this.” He rubbed Sora’s back lightly before slapping his ass playfully. “Go get ‘em.”</p><p>Sora jumped at the contact, but smirked at the vote of confidence. He cracked his neck before taking a ball between his index finger and thumb, honing in on his target across the table. He took his shot, which surprisingly sunk perfectly into the pinnacle of his opponents’ triangle.</p><p>“Yes!” he exclaimed, jumping for joy while Roxas removed the cup from the field.</p><p>Riku gave him a high-five, then turned to the couple on the other end of the table. “Get ready to lose, bitches,” he scowled, aiming briefly before taking his shot.</p><p>The ball swirled around one of the cups, and Axel quickly fingered the ball out of the cup before it landed into the water. “Ha! You forget that I’m the reigning champion of pong.” Without hesitation, he took a shot which landed directly in the middle cup of their triangle.</p><p>Riku shook his head while removing the cup. Roxas soon followed after Axel’s shot, also sinking his ball into the pinnacle of their triangle. He shouted from joy, exchanging a high-five with his boyfriend. “Suck it, assholes!” He humped the air as he mocked the two on the opposite end of the table.</p><p>“No, thank you.” Sora grimaced, preparing to take a swig of the liquor. All parties enjoyed a hearty laugh before continuing with the game.</p><p>The back-and-forth of ping-pong balls continued for quite a while – Sora surprised himself when he discovered his aim was fantastic while drunk as well. The game commenced, both teams performing admirably and even requiring a sudden death round. To Sora and Riku’s dismay, though, their opponents won with a single cup standing on their side.</p><p>The couple embraced in a celebratory kiss, while Riku and Sora begrudgingly took a swig of the liquor out of the bottle. The brunette was feeling the effects from the alcohol pretty heavily at this point, but he refused to stop partaking in the fun.</p><p>In their competitive match, the four men failed to realize that the engaged couple had disappeared from the room. They all made their way out of the garage into the main foundation of the house, only to find the majority of the remaining guests huddled in a circle on the floor of the living room, the pole situated in the middle of the gathering.</p><p>A tall dirty-blonde haired man perked up and ran to Riku, a little too excitedly for Sora’s liking. “Riku! There you are!” he exclaimed, clapping his hands together.</p><p>“I’ve been here the whole time, Demyx.” Riku waved a hand at the man, who was invading his personal space bubble. “What’s with the enthusiasm?”</p><p>The other guy – Demyx? – his expression brightened before continuing his inquiry. “Can we smoke?” His hands were rubbing together in anticipation.</p><p>“Oh shit!” Riku exclaimed, also becoming excited. “I almost forgot.” He cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted “Anyone who wants to smoke, come to the sunroom!” A group of people stood up from the living room and crowded through the siding-glass door to enter the room of bewilderment.</p><p>Sora wasn’t entirely sure what he was alluding to – but had a feeling it was about marijuana. He looked at the man beside him with perplexity.</p><p>“Don’t be scared, I’m right here,” he coaxed, offering his palm for the timid college student. “Trust me, Sora. You wanna be high for this.” His stare was dark but inviting, and the thought of being high with Riku was <em>insanely</em> tempting.</p><p>“I trust you.” He said it, with feeling. In this moment, Sora really did trust Riku, and he grabbed his hand, allowing the silver-haired man to escort him into the room already filled with so much beauty – which was probably going to get even more amazing.</p><p>There was a group of about nine people in the room – Roxas, Axel, Sora, Riku, Terra, Aqua, Demyx, and two other people Sora didn’t recognize – but he still felt comfortable, especially in the luminescent lighting of the blue LED lights around the room. Riku (being the gracious host he was) grabbed a large baggie of the green plant, along with a circular grinding device and a small bowl-shaped glass. Sora had tried to smoke once before on prom night, but he didn’t feel much of an effect. Roxas had told him that it was because people don’t get high on the first try; mostly because they don’t know how to inhale, but Sora wasn’t convinced of the accuracy of his statements. Regardless, Sora was willing to give it the ol’ college try, as they say.</p><p>Riku packed the grinded substance into the bowl, sparking a lighter and smoking the contents with ease – he inhaled and held his breath for a few seconds before exhaling, involuntarily coughing lightly as he did so. He passed the device to Sora, who sheepishly took it in his hand, amateurishly confused about what came next.</p><p>“It’s still lit, so just inhale from this end,” Riku disclosed, showing him where to place his lips. Sora did as he was told and took a hefty puff, warranting a gentle “slow down” from Riku. Before he could, though, the smoke hit his lungs and Sora started coughing before he could mimic Riku’s actions of holding his breath.</p><p>“God – d-damn…” Sora declared between coughs. “That’s strong.”</p><p>The group chuckled in unison, appreciating a first-timer’s experience with weed. Sora passed the bowl to the person at his side, which happened to be Axel. He was able to mimic the way Riku smoked the damn thing, making Sora feel inadequate – he was still coughing, too.</p><p>The bowl continued its round around the circle of people that were sitting on the floor. Sora felt the room begin to spin gently, and he knew he was getting high. The bowl made its way back into his hands (after Riku re-packed the bowl), and Sora tried mastering the art of smoking this time. He didn’t take such a heavy puff, and he was a bit more successful as he was able to hold his breath for a second or two before hacking up a lung.</p><p>His entire being felt lighter, time was slowing down, and he found himself laughing at conversations he didn’t even remember. Sora had never felt so good – no wonder Roxas always told him he wasn’t ‘experiencing life.’ He looked to his left, where Riku sat, and stared at the pure <em>art</em> that was this man. His smile was bright, his laugh was contagious, his eyes were dreamy, his energy was warming, and that fucking lip ring was pure sex. Sora noticed Riku using his tongue to play with it absently before he looked back at the brunette, who wasn’t even slightly subtle about his stare.</p><p>“What’s wrong?”</p><p>“Nothing.” Sora smirked. “Just admiring you.”</p><p>Riku’s eyes widened, surprised to hear something so forthright coming from the shy brunette. “Is that right?”</p><p>Sora nodded, blinking slowly.</p><p>“I have an idea,” Roxas interjected. All eyes turned toward the blonde, full attention on him. “Let’s play truth or dare.”</p><p>The rest of the circle seemed to be in agreement, but Sora was internally panicking. Whatever Roxas was plotting made him nervous. Especially with the deep stare his roommate was giving him, with an evil smirk on his lips.</p><p>“Axel,” he said, turning to his partner. Sora audibly sighed in relief. “Truth or dare?”</p><p>The red-head didn’t hesitate. “Dare.”</p><p>Roxas smiled. “I dare you to exchange shirts with Aqua and stay like that until morning.”</p><p>The entire group laughed, aside from Axel. Aqua removed her strapless v-neck shirt without hesitation, warranting some stray whistles from the men in the group, while Axel groaned and removed his own plain black tee shirt. They swapped shirts, Aqua comfortably settling in the bulky shirt while Axel struggled to pull the small strapless shirt over his shoulders.</p><p>Axel was in a state that Sora had never seen before, where he was hunched over himself and trying to cover his bare shoulders. He quickly pointed to a victim to take the focus off him for once. “You, Zexion. Truth or dare.”</p><p>One of the people Sora didn’t recognize, who wore hair similar to Riku’s, but slightly darker and parted to cover his face, responded to the red-head. “Truth.”</p><p>“Have you and Demyx ever kissed?”</p><p>Zexion hesitated, eyes moving to look at the dirty-blonde man in apology, but ultimately confessed. “Um… yes. Last summer – it was quite… intense.”</p><p>Most of the group burst into laughter, but Sora was totally clueless to this drama within the circle. In his state of ignorance, he hardly noticed Zexion call on Riku for the game.</p><p>“Dare,” Riku said strongly.</p><p>“I dare you to kiss your little friend, there.” He nodded towards Sora. The brunette only muttered a small ‘uh?’ before Zexion continued. “For at least thirty seconds.”</p><p><em>Oh damn. </em>Thirty seconds of Riku kissing him? In front of all these people? <em>Fuckfuckfuck.</em></p><p>All eyes were on the pair for a few seconds, waiting in anticipation. The time-warp Sora was experiencing from being high wasn’t helping matters any.</p><p>“Easy.” Riku’s voice echoed in the glass room, twisting his body to face the dazed blue eyes next to him. “Look at me, Sora,” he commanded. Sora obeyed, unable to deny Riku’s demands. His green eyes stared deep into his soul as he raised a hand to caress his cheek, gently rubbing his tanned skin. “It’s okay, it’s just me,” he whispered, his voice deep. “You ready?”</p><p>His question was so low and quiet, Sora knew it was meant only for him. He nodded, hypnotized by the eyes that stared back at him before they disappeared behind heavy eyelids. Sora closed his eyes as well, bracing himself for impact. Thirty seconds? That was nothing compared to what they’d done before.</p><p>Riku’s soft lips collided with his, a slightly different feeling with the addition of his lip ring, but <em>fuck</em> it felt so good. Between the buzz from the alcohol, the high from the weed, and the adrenaline from everyone watching, Sora was on cloud-fucking-nine. He felt the twist of metal on his lip as Riku moved into the kiss, steadily parting his lips in anticipation for Sora to allow access into his mouth. He did as he was told, letting Riku’s tongue playfully lap against his. Sora paused in dismay, feeling the tongue become more aggressive and begin to explore – sometimes grazing against his teeth, other times dancing with his own muscle. Everything about this kiss was slow and sensual – not timid, like their first kiss; not hungry, like their second kiss – this one was an entirely different experience. Sora was amazed at how Riku had that ability.</p><p>This particular embrace was worthy of fireworks and lightning strikes. Something clicked between the two, causing Sora to get fully absorbed into the moment. Everything around them disappeared.</p><p>“Um… Thirty seconds is up, guys…” Demyx pointed out.</p><p>Well, everything disappeared up until that interruption. Sora tried to pull away from the moment and make eye contact with Demyx, but Riku still held his face in his hands.</p><p>“Uh-huh.” Riku turned his partner’s head to focus back on him, eyes still half-closed. “I don’t give a fuck about our friends. I’m right here,” he moaned, taking control of Sora’s lips again. How the <em>fuck</em> did Riku possess the talent to make Sora feel like the only one in the room? Forget the weed – he could get high on that alone.</p><p>Riku fluently began the process of standing up, gripping Sora enough to guide him to his feet as well, expertly avoiding interruption of their kiss. The brunette didn’t see it, but Riku flipped a middle finger towards the group as he guided his lip-locked partner out of the room, gracefully exploring Sora’s clothed torso with his palms; each motion making Sora shiver.</p><p>The silver-haired man pulled from the kiss when they entered the living room, allowing for each of them to breathe. “Sorry, I just wanted to be alone with you.” Riku opened his eyes, still inches away from Sora’s sapphire irises.</p><p>“I’m okay with that,” he breathed, panting through swollen lips.</p><p>Riku let out a small puff of air, grabbing Sora’s hand and leading him up the spiral staircase into his room on the second floor.</p><p>Sora was too out of it to process the details of Riku’s room – all he knew was the bed was extremely comfortable and once his head hit the pillow, his eyes became heavy and all adrenaline from their intense kiss earlier had escaped him. Riku was a gentleman about the whole ordeal, and didn’t try to continue their make-out session (or possibly more) once Sora’s eyes were closed. All the brunette felt was a warm body next to his, and a strong arm embracing his figure; the comfort of which helped ease Sora into sleep.</p><p>At some point in the night, Sora stirred enough to wake himself from his sleep, but was groggy. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been asleep, but he still felt the comfort of Riku’s body cuddled next to his. Upon waking from his fog, Sora slid a hand to his penis, which was fully erect. He was pretty sure Riku was still asleep, but he felt the bulge of the bartender’s dick against his ass. He wasn’t sure what compelled him to do so (possibly the growing craving for intimacy, including sexual intimacy… or maybe the weed), but he gradually pushed his hips against the slight erection he felt against his bottom. He felt it swell a little more, which he saw as an opportunity to start grinding in small circles. The growing erection on the other man was sliding between his cheeks, even with the subtle movements Sora was making.</p><p>The body next to him was definitely awake now – Sora felt the arm wrapped around him move, slowly, to take grip of his hip and guide his soft grinds. The feel of Riku’s hand on his hip sent electric currents through his abdomen, so close to the weak spot on his groin. Riku gently pushed back into Sora, creating a moderate pace between the two bodies. The brunette felt pressure on his neck as Riku nuzzled against his ear, lightly biting the lobe – cold metal grazed against his ear, making the small hairs on his neck stand up. Heavy breaths from Riku’s panting tickled, sending more electric currents through his being.</p><p>Sora turned to face lust-filled green eyes, and closed the gap with an assault on already-swollen lips. Riku pulled the smaller man to roll his body on top of his, hands gripping his hips, low enough to dig his fingertips into the curvature of Sora’s ass.</p><p>The brunette sat up, straddling Riku’s pelvis, balancing himself enough to shrug off his jacket and toss it to the floor. Riku’s hands traveled to the white shirt, reaching underneath the cloth to help Sora pull it off and throw it somewhere on the floor next to its counterpart. The smaller torso was now completely exposed – Riku took a moment to caress Sora’s bare chest and abdomen, admiring the sight in front of him.</p><p>“So fucking sexy,” he growled, provoking a confident smile from the brunette before he laid back down onto the body underneath him to continue their kiss.</p><p>Their hips found a rhythm again, this time more energetic. Riku’s pelvis grinded in little circles, the movement making it clear to Sora that this man was indeed a dancer, and had a freedom in his hips that only made the brunette wonder how incredible it would feel if Riku was pushing into him – pushing <em>inside-</em></p><p>The feeling of the silver-haired man’s fingers playing with the button of Sora’s jeans brought him back to the moment, recognizing that he still felt inebriated from the substances in his system, but he didn’t care. He pushed himself off Riku and unzipped his jeans (apparently Riku had already undone the button), slipping them off with an eagerness that even shocked himself.</p><p>Hungry green eyes were studying him briefly before the person they belonged to was hovering over him, hoisted by his muscular arms. Their lips collided once more, with Sora gripping the broad (and clothed… unfortunately) shoulders above him, feeling the slight tremble of Riku’s muscles from holding his weight.</p><p>He lost grip of those shoulders as they traveled lower; Riku was exploring the sides of the smaller frame beneath him with his palms as his mouth moved to Sora’s neck, then his chest, then his navel – the ghost of lips lingering in each spot he marked. Fingertips were pulling at the elastic in his boxer briefs, removing them just enough to expose Sora’s rock-hard cock, his member springing out with freedom.</p><p>Riku gracefully traced his fingertips around Sora’s groin, the sensation creating a breathy moan to escape his throat and a twitch from his dick. He looked down at the person between his legs and was met with those eyes, expressing a satisfied smirk. “Told you you’d want to be high for this.”</p><p>Sora’s sapphire eyes widened as he watched his partner snake a hand around his girth, squeezing gently but making no other movement. His mouth moved closer to the head, which was already producing precum. Riku lapped the tip with his tongue, teasing it, and gripping harder with his palm. The small contact made Sora toss his head back into the pillow behind him, bucking his hips in pleading and whimpering pathetically.</p><p>Riku held the brunette’s hips down with his free hand, chuckling darkly before placing his mouth around the tip of Sora’s cock – the feeling of warmth and moisture around his tip was <em>heavenly</em>, but he wanted more. Riku used the tip of his tongue to massage the frenulum, while slowly moving the hand that held Sora’s girth, producing more precum that he quickly lapped away.</p><p>Riku began taking in more of Sora’s length, the feeling of cool metal tracing along with his mouth. As he moved, his free hand traveled to Sora’s swollen testicles, lightly playing with them as his tongue applied more pressure along the shaft. The brunette’s eyelids were fluttering from the pleasure, hardly able to control himself. It had been so long since anyone blew him – especially <em>this</em> good – and he didn’t know how long he would last.</p><p>Riku’s fingers explored a little more, making their way to Sora’s taint, and applying light pressure while creating a steady rhythm with his hand and mouth pumping along his shaft. There was no doubt about it, Riku was a fucking expert in everything he did.</p><p>“<em>Fuck</em>, h-how are you d-doing that…” Sora breathed, hardly able to control himself. The pressure was building in his stomach as he got closer to release. He felt the vibration of Riku humming in pride, causing more sensations to flood to Sora’s abdomen. He was right there. “I c-can’t… Riku…” he tried to make a sentence, but was so lost in adrenaline that he failed to do so. His hands gripped the sheets as he felt the pressure building up in the base of his balls. “It’s so… <em>unnghf!”</em></p><p>And with that, the pressure released a load of cum, but Riku was still tightly wrapped around his tip, taking all his load into his mouth. He felt the pressure of one final suck and tongue lap from Riku before hearing the small pop of his penis leaving the man’s mouth. Riku really just <em>swallowed</em> everything like a champ. Sora watched as Riku used the back of his hand to wipe excess saliva from his mouth.</p><p>His head flew back into the pillow behind him, panting heavily. Riku pulled the boxers over his hips to cover his expended member and climbed back to Sora’s side, but the brunette was so lost in sheer ecstasy that he couldn’t move or speak. His eyes fluttered closed, his body sinking into the bed, feeling a sense of satisfaction he’d never felt before, drifting back to sleep once again.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Descending</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Oh boy. I finally finished this chapter. I have to admit, I had a pretty heavy writers block with this chapter (took me almost 3 weeks to finish it). So, my apologies if it's dragged out, or the tone shifts too much. And it explains why I took a little longer to upload.</p><p>The story gets a bit darker from this point forward. Tags may be added as it progresses. </p><p>DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, The Bloodhound Gang, Motionless in White, or Tool. Music is heavily used in this chapter and it's the basis of the characters' bonding. Prepare yourself.</p><p>AUTHOR'S NOTE: If anyone knows who Tool is, I did actually attend their concert, and YES the tickets were that expensive. Totally worth it. I also own the Tool shirt referenced below. Also, I DO NOT CONDONE driving under the influence. Don't do it, kids.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>An unknown noise caused Sora’s eyes to flutter open, quickly recognizing that he was in Riku’s room. Next to him was a wooden nightstand with a lamp and a picture frame resting on the surface. Sora rubbed his eyes, carefully bringing himself to a sitting position, as to not disturb the man sleeping next to him. Riku was fully clothed, unlike himself – his lips curled into a gentle smile as he studied the softness of Riku’s features as he slept. The memory of their intimate moment last night was surreal, but Sora couldn’t deny that he felt more relaxed from it.</p><p>He looked back at the picture frame on the nightstand, which contained a photograph of Riku, Terra, and a female figure that he didn’t recognize. Her face was scratched out, but he could tell she was smaller in stature – similar to Kairi, actually – and had platinum blonde hair. He wondered why her face was scratched out, and why this picture would be framed beside Riku’s bed if he held such animosity towards her. Both men looked significantly younger in the photo, and Riku’s hair was grown out past his shoulders. He sat in the middle of the other two, his arms around each of their waists, and flashing a glowing smile that made the corners of his eyes crinkle. He looked positively ecstatic.</p><p>Sora noticed a piece of paper on the floor out of the corner of his eye. He brought himself to his feet, glancing behind him to make sure he didn’t disturb Riku, and picked up the piece of paper to inspect it. It was a letter, and judging by the handwriting, it was from Roxas.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Good moanin’ sleepyhead!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Me &amp; Ax are heading out. Everyone else is gone too.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>We didn’t want to disturb you guys. Figured you’d want some more alone time.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>And remember: you can’t go wrong if you shield your dong!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Sora?”</p><p>He jumped a little when he heard his name and crunched the paper into a ball as though he was caught doing something wrong.</p><p>“What’s that?” Riku asked through sleepy eyes, shielding a yawn with the back of his hand.</p><p>“Just a note from Roxas saying that everyone’s gone.” He purposely left out the detail about spending some time alone together, unsure why exactly he was hesitant to say anything.</p><p>Riku hummed and brushed his fingers through his hair. “How you feeling?”</p><p>“Not great,” he responded, the thumping in his brain from his headache taking full effect. “I’m just hoping I don’t puke again.”</p><p>The fully-clothed man slid himself off the bed and stretched once he was fully standing. “I think I know how to help.”</p><p>“You are <em>not</em> tricking me into drinking again.”</p><p>Riku gave a hearty laugh. “No, not that. Weed helps suppress nausea.”</p><p>Sora’s blue eyes widened. “Oh, you’re just trying to make me horny again, huh?” He tried to speak with a teasing tone – something he probably picked up from Riku.</p><p>The taller man shook his head and walked to his dresser to pull out two pajama pants and two plain tee-shirts. “I won’t lie, I love the thought of you being turned on,” he started, offering one of the outfits to Sora, “but I swear that’s not my intention.”</p><p>The brunette took the shirt and pajamas, surprised that Riku owned any semblance of regular clothing that wasn’t name-brand. “If you say so.”</p><p>Riku was unbuttoning his vest and the shirt underneath it. Sora couldn’t help but watch as the silver-haired man undressed, shrugging off the shirts in one swift motion. Black and white striped boxers peeked above his jeans, hugging his hips. Directly above the elastic of his boxers, Sora noticed the sparkle of jewelry winking at him – two piercings embedded in each side of Riku’s hips, further outlining the ‘V’ of his muscles. Sora bundled up the clothing in front of his crotch to hide his growing excitement at the thought of what was beyond that ‘V’. He wasn’t sure how he didn’t notice those piercings their first night in the hot tub.</p><p>“They’re pretty cool, right?” Riku said. He must’ve seen the brunette staring at him. “My dermals get a lot of attention when I’m dancing.”</p><p>Sora wanted to speak, but the lump in his throat prevented him from doing so.</p><p>“Wanna touch them?”</p><p>He looked up at Riku after shaking himself out of his daze. “O-Okay.”</p><p>Sora walked towards the man, outstretching a nervous hand to lightly feel the metal that was embedded into the flesh. It felt strange – the four little pieces of jewelry were firmly planted in place, teasing Riku’s assets and what lie beneath. Sora had to hold back the urge to grab both hips and pull him aggressively towards him to feel bare skin on his.</p><p>Riku smirked, most likely reading Sora’s mind. “Alright, get dressed before I attack you again.”</p><p>A nervous laugh escaped Sora’s lips. “Yeah, thanks.” He slid the pajama pants over his boxers and the shirt followed. “Do you have mouthwash or something? I feel like someone shit in my mouth.”</p><p>Riku chuckled. “I actually have a spare toothbrush in the bathroom. It’s across the hall, underneath the sink. Help yourself.”</p><p>Sora nodded in appreciation and walked out of the room, across the hall, into said bathroom. This one was bigger than the one downstairs with a full bathtub and a linen closet inside the room. He made a mental note about how clean everything was while he was searching underneath the sink for the toothbrush. After finding one, he looked into the mirror above the sink and cringed at his reflection. There were dark circles under his eyes and his hair was more unkempt than usual. He pulled at the mirror and found a medicine cabinet behind it, with toothpaste and hair gel conveniently placed on the shelf. Sora grabbed both and brushed his teeth until his gums bled. He scooped a small amount of gel in his fingers and rubbed his hands together until they were saturated with the gel and began to finger the strands of hair that were particularly unruly.</p><p>Riku walked into the bathroom moments later and placed his hands on Sora’s hips to gently usher him away from the sink (small bouts of electricity shivered through Sora’s hips from the touch, but he tried to ignore this) so he could also brush his teeth. After both men were feeling more refreshed, they walked downstairs and into the sunroom to smoke.</p><p>The room was bright from the sun’s rays filtering through the glass. The silver-haired man did the same routine as he did last night to prepare the bowl, grinding the green plant and packing a small amount into the hole. He lit the contents and inhaled, paused briefly, and exhaled. He handed the bowl to Sora, who mimicked those actions almost perfectly. He was getting the hang of this lifestyle pretty quickly.</p><p>“So, any plans for the rest of the day?” Riku asked between puffs.</p><p>“Nah-” <em>coughcough</em>, “- it is Sunday, after all.”</p><p>“Wanna get some breakfast? My treat.”</p><p>Sora’s stomach growled from the thought – he hadn’t eaten anything worthwhile in a few days. “Yes <em>please,</em>” he replied, holding his abdomen as it growled.</p><p>“Perfect,” Riku said, taking the last puff from the bowl before stashing it away in a hidden corner of the room. “Ready to go?”</p><p>Sora followed Riku into the foyer, hesitating slightly as they approached the door. “You’re okay to drive?” He knew he’d be spaced out if he attempted to get behind the wheel at the moment – if he ever learned how to drive.</p><p>Riku laughed like it was the dumbest question he ever heard. “That was adorable.”</p><p>The brunette scowled. “I’m not adorable…” he muttered as he folded his arms and looked away from Riku.</p><p>“This is normal for me, Sora. Trust me, I wouldn’t put you in danger,” he replied, reaching for a casual hoodie by the front door and shrugging it over his shoulders. He offered a spare red one that was hanging on the coatrack to the brunette, which he gladly accepted.</p><p>“As long as you take full responsibility for anything happening to me,” Sora smirked as he pulled the hoodie over his shirt. It smelled deliciously like Riku.</p><p>“One hundred percent,” Riku said, opening the door for the smaller man and gesturing for him to exit first.</p><p>Riku’s car was sporty-looking, and suited his personality quite well. Sora knew next-to-nothing about cars, but he recognized this one as a Mustang from the little horse decal on the front. It was midnight blue and looked fierce, with black leather seats and practically immaculate interior – Sora was getting the impression that Riku was a bit of a perfectionist.</p><p>And of course the inside smelled like cranberries, with a hint of stale marijuana.</p><p>The engine revved and the speakers sang an electronic series of beeps to signify a successful Bluetooth connection to Riku’s phone. Music with incredibly heavy guitars, bass, and vocals blared through the sound system, startling a stoned Sora at first.</p><p>Riku rushed to turn the dial to lower the sound and apologized to the rattled brunette. “Guess I was rocking out a little too hard, my bad.”</p><p>“It’s fine. Just unexpected,” Sora replied, listening to the music that was so foreign to him. “I never pegged you as a screamo guy.”</p><p>“Screamo?” Riku laughed. “I haven’t heard anyone call it that since like, eighth grade. It’s <em>heavy metal</em>, thank you very much.” He put the car in drive and guided the vehicle onto the main road.</p><p>“Oh, <em>excuse </em>me and my ignorance,” Sora giggled. He didn’t have much of a music preference and was open to listening to anything. He heard the screams from the lead vocalist and could pinpoint some of the lyrics, which sounded hauntingly like the story from <em>Edward Scissorhands.</em> It was pretty awesome, especially considering he was currently stoned and could feel the guitar riffs dancing throughout his body.</p><p>“Most people don’t expect me to like this shit since my job basically requires pop or R&amp;B,” Riku explained as he flicked on a turn signal. “I like those too, but being the black sheep who listens to heavy music throws people for a loop.” He paused for a moment to sing along to the chorus, then continued his thought. “That’s me – the walking contradiction.”</p><p>Sora nodded, acknowledging that Riku was correct. He wouldn’t expect Riku to be into heavy metal either, but somehow it made him even more attractive. “Well you’ve definitely kept me on my toes. It’s cool, though.”</p><p>“Glad you think so.”</p><p>They sat in a comfortable silence for a minute or two as Sora looked out the window, getting lost in the trees and cable lines that whirred past. He took a glance at the side-view mirror of the car, looking at his reflection once again. His blue eyes were surrounded by a red hue, and although the dark circles were gone, he looked exhausted – he assumed this was an effect from the weed. Sora smiled at his reflection, noticing that he was comfortably swimming in Riku’s large red hoodie.</p><p>He buried himself further into the hoodie (inconspicuously trying to sniff the fabric) when the previous song ended and a new melody began playing. Electronic keystrokes filled the vehicle with a hypnotizing rift for a few seconds, until a harmony of guitars joined into the song. Sora began bobbing his head to the beat, which reminded him of something out of a video game.</p><p>Then he started hearing the lyrics.</p><p><br/>‘<em>Street legal whore, hauling so much stunning ass</em></p><p>
  <em>Sell yourself short, like Bridget at the Bunny Ranch</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Do it all fours, the satisfaction of getting fouled’</em>
</p><p> </p><p>“What the fuck?” Sora found himself saying.</p><p> </p><p>‘<em>I’m the least you could do</em></p><p>
  <em>If only life were as easy as you</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I would still get screwed’</em>
</p><p> </p><p>The electronic piano melody continued after the lines, and Sora couldn’t help but laugh uncontrollably at the words he heard. “Is this for real?” he shouted between laughter.</p><p>“It’s the Bloodhound Gang!” Riku said, voice nearly cracking. “You know them.”</p><p>Sora was still laughing at the ridiculousness. “No, I promise I don’t.”</p><p>“Yes, you do. Hold on,” he persisted, waiting to come to a red light before searching through his phone. The tune changed to another electronic-esque melody at first, with a small guitar rift joining in, until the vocalist started spouting the lyrics.</p><p>Sora shook his head consistently, shrugging his shoulders, as he listened to the first few verses of the song – adamant that he’s never heard it before.</p><p> </p><p>‘<em>I’ve got somthin</em></p><p>
  <em>And it goes thumpin like this</em>
</p><p>
  <em>All you need is</em>
</p><p>
  <em>My uhn-tiss, uhn-tiss, uhn-tiss’</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Once the chorus hit, Sora’s mouth formed into an ‘o’ as he recognized the song immediately. When it first came out, he might have been too young to understand what the song was about, but it was definitely familiar.</p><p>Riku smiled in victory. “Everyone knows this band, they just don’t realize it.”</p><p>“Yup, you proved me wrong.” Sora continued listening to the words, giggling to himself whenever he heard a suggestive meaning behind them.</p><p>“I want this played at my funeral.” Riku said, pumping his chest to the beat.</p><p>Sora smiled at the thought – and how much the lighthearted tone of the song fit the silver-haired man. “I’ll be sure to show up dressed as the grim reaper with an old-school boombox, jamming this at your burial while swinging glow sticks,” he blurted in one breath.</p><p>“<em>What?!” </em>Riku breathed, laughing so much he had to pull over. The two looked at each other and continued cackling harder the more they heard each other’s laughter – Sora was pretty sure he snorted at some point, which made them both roar louder while the song continued blaring.</p><p><em>G</em><em>od</em>, this felt so good – Sora was pretty sure he’s never laughed this much in his life. Some of it could’ve been from his high, but regardless he knew this was a moment he’d never forget.</p><p>“I’ll be severely disappointed if that doesn’t happen… And I’ll haunt you for the rest of your days,” Riku managed to say after composing himself. Then he playfully flicked his tongue in a pattern similar to the bass line and quickly winked afterwards before guiding the car back onto the road.</p><p>Sora giggled once again, his laughing fit finally subsiding. His stomach rumbled once again. “Where the hell is this place? I’m hungry <em>now.</em>”</p><p>“Two minutes,” Riku cooed, reaching over to Sora’s thigh and patting it twice. “You’ll survive.”</p><p>The brunette dramatically threw his head back with a groan. But Riku was correct, in less than two minutes they were pulling into the parking lot to a small diner. Riku pulled out two pairs of sunglasses from the center console of his car, handing one to Sora (both pairs had a “D&amp;G” logo on the sides – of course).</p><p>“Your eyes are red as hell,” Riku commented as he pushed the sunglasses into Sora’s smaller hands.</p><p>“Good point.” Sora put the sunglasses on his face and briefly checked out his reflection in the mirror. They looked pretty damn snazzy, even if they didn’t match the vibe from the rest of his clothes.</p><p>Both men entered the breakfast joint, adorning their pajamas, hoodies, and sunglasses in the middle of the afternoon with no shame, and followed the hostess to their booth, where they were seated across from each other. Two menus were placed in front of their respective seats. Sora internally acknowledged how shady they must’ve looked, but his priority was food at the moment.</p><p>The pair ordered waters to start (poor Sora desperately needed hydration) while they perused the menu. Everything sounded mouth-watering, especially since he didn’t realize exactly how hungry he was until he started reading the choices. He felt bad about ordering too much, since Riku insisted on paying for the whole meal, and he settled on a greasy buffalo chicken cheese steak.</p><p>“Cheese steak for breakfast?” Riku asked.</p><p>“Food is food. I don’t discriminate,” he informed while he closed his menu. “Besides, it’s what, one o’clock?”</p><p>Riku pushed his sunglasses out of the way and rested them on the top of his head while he pulled out his phone to check. “Yep, almost.”</p><p>Suddenly Sora remembered his phone was turned off and he hadn’t checked it since last night. He pulled it from his hoodie pocket and turned it on, preparing for the onslaught of texts he potentially missed.</p><p>And like clockwork, the string of high-pitched <em>dings</em> sang one after another as Sora’s phone processed the incoming messages individually.</p><p>
  <em>Kai:</em>
</p><p>
  <em>7:56PM: Seriously, where are you?</em>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <em>8:04PM: I don’t appreciate you ignoring me, Sora.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>8:17PM: Did I do something wrong?</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>8:28PM: Baby Bear…</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>8:52PM: I do still love you, you know.</em>
</p><p>Sora’s jaw dropped.</p><p>
  <em>8:53PM: I just don’t feel the romance anymore. You have to understand. But I don’t want you to leave my life forever.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>8:55PM: Please respond.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>9:44PM: I guess you hate me now. You’ve made that perfectly clear</em>
</p><p>“Christ, Sora,” Riku commented with wide eyes. “Who the hell did you piss off?”</p><p>“Kairi, apparently.”</p><p>Riku hummed, absently playing with his lip ring as the slew of <em>dings</em> continued.</p><p>
  <em>9:44PM: And I was just trying to be nice to you and keep a friendship</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>9:44PM: but now I see how it is. You cant even be an adult about this</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>9:45PM: So fuck you. Im </em>
  <em>happier</em>
  <em> with cloud anyway</em>
</p><p>Sora could tell Kairi was pissed off during those texts from the small grammatical slips in her syntax. Either that, or she was also drinking last night – he noticed a long time ago how that would happen if her head was fuzzy from being inebriated. But no matter how much he tried to justify her behavior, seeing that text was like a gunshot to the heart. Sora was thankful for the marijuana in his system, because it neutralized his anger into something closer to annoyance.</p><p>
  <em>12:53AM: I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>12:59AM: I’ll leave you alone now. Just please talk to me when you’re ready.</em>
</p><p>Sora closed his eyes and took a deep breath, contemplating whether or not he should respond right now.</p><p>“What’d she say?” Riku said with an uninterested tone. His arms were folded and his eyes burned into his brunette counterpart across the table.</p><p>Sora didn’t speak – he merely slid his phone across the table for Riku to read the string of messages. A few minutes of silence and changes in Riku’s expression passed as he skimmed through the barrage of texts.</p><p>“Oh boy,” he exhaled. “You want my honest opinion?”</p><p>Sora leaned back and presented an upturned hand as if to say ‘go ahead.’</p><p>The taller man took a sip of his water to prepare himself. “She’s using you.”</p><p>“Using me?”</p><p>“Yes. Straight-up, no bullshit, manipulating the shit out of you.” Riku scrolled through the texts to solidify his theory. “Her speech tells me she’s trying to keep you around as a back -up. Keeping you close enough, but not too close. Giving you that little sparkle of hope. Then getting mad at you when you don’t feed into her shit, but immediately regretting her actions.”</p><p>“… Yeah,” Sora nodded, biting his lip. Everything Riku said was making total sense – a little too close for comfort.</p><p>“Be careful with that, Sora. Very, very careful.” The silver-haired man’s green eyes were hung low, but grew closer to Sora’s face with a horrendously serious stare.</p><p>The intensity was too much to handle right now. Sora felt the suppressing need to change the subject before he broke down in tears. “Why do you hate relationships so much?”</p><p>The fierce glare subsided on the other man’s face, pulling back from it and settling into the booth. “I never said I hated them. They’re just not for me,” he said, absently jabbing at the ice in his water with a straw. “I’ve gotten really good at being the ‘other guy’ for men and women alike. Comes with the territory,” he smirked, locking eyes with Sora once again.</p><p>Sora offered a soft smile, but his mind was racing. <em>The other guy</em>. Was that the extent of Riku’s self-worth? Or did he have some serious commitment issues? That girl in the photograph… did she have anything to do with this?</p><p>“Is it because of that girl?”</p><p>“What girl?”</p><p>“The blonde one… the girl in the picture.”</p><p>Riku’s lips pursed and his eyes narrowed. “Irrelevant. Moving on.”</p><p>Wrong question. Sora swallowed and fidgeted in his seat, feeling the tension in the air almost suffocating him. He tried to think of any other subject to talk about, but his curiosity grew exponentially because of Riku’s defensive reaction.</p><p>Thankfully, the waitress brought their food to the table before the silence became deafening. Almost instantly, Sora’s eyes brightened as the delicious smell of buffalo chicken filled his nostrils.</p><p>Riku poked a spoon at his French Onion soup. “So, you want to see a concert with me tonight?”</p><p>“A concert? On a Sunday night?” Sora questioned in mid-bite of his sandwich.</p><p>Riku nodded. “It’s a great way to get your week started.” He took a bite of his soup. “Plus, I would hate going alone.”</p><p>Sora was happily chewing on his food while he considered Riku’s proposition. He didn’t even know what concert it was, and it was a Sunday, when he knew he had class in the morning. But something about being so knowingly reckless, spending more time with Riku, and being invited as a companion because he didn’t want to be alone-</p><p>
  <em>Wait.</em>
</p><p>Was this a <em>date?</em> Riku literally just expressed having major commitment issues, but he didn’t want to be alone at a concert? Sora wanted clarification, but considering Riku’s recent reaction to being questioned about his relationships, he decided against questioning.</p><p>“Sure,” he smiled. “Sounds fun.”</p><p>“Fuck <em>yes</em>, Sora!” Riku exclaimed, giving a high-five. “I promise you won’t regret it.”</p><p>The brunette chuckled, swallowing a mouthful of food before he responded. “I’ve yet to regret any adventure I’ve had with you.” He tried to make his tone as sincere as possible, because he really did enjoy every moment he’s spent with Riku thus far.</p><p>The silver-haired man leaned across the table with an elbow propped on the surface. “I’m honored.” He paused, taking the moment to look Sora up and down, and smirked. “Make sure you pack a bag.”</p><p> </p><p>xXx</p><p> </p><p>“Wait, wait, wait. Hold the fucking press,” Roxas blurted, following his roommate around the dorm as he meticulously packed his overnight bag. “He’s taking you to see <em>Tool</em>?!”</p><p>Sora sighed. “Glad to know your ears are working properly.”</p><p>Roxas abruptly grabbed the brunette’s shoulders and gave him a gentle shake. “Do you understand how <em>lucky</em> you are? Ax and I were trying to get money together to afford those tickets, but we couldn’t. Even the shitty seats were like, upwards of $150.”</p><p>Sora’s eyes widened – he had no idea how expensive the tickets were. To be perfectly frank, he didn’t really know who Tool was, but he pretended he knew them to save face in front of Riku. “Well, shit.”</p><p>“Yeah,” Roxas breathed. “… What section are the seats?”</p><p>“He told me it’s the first row behind the pit.”</p><p>“Ex-<em>cuse</em> me?!” The blonde tangled his fingers through his hair. Sora thought he might accidentally rip it out. “Okay. Sora. Tell me how excited you are. Using vowels only.”</p><p>“Huh?”</p><p>“Not acceptable. Vowels.”</p><p>“Aaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiieeeee…?” Sora trailed off, confused but smiling at this ridiculous game.</p><p>Roxas laughed at the noise. “That’ll do. Now let me introduce you to the embodiment of transcendence.”</p><p>The blonde trotted into the dorm’s living room area where their small stereo system was hooked. He plugged his phone into the auxiliary cord and began his very own Tool playlist. Intricate drum beats, bass riffs, and other interesting sounds that Sora couldn’t pinpoint filled the speakers. Roxas closed his eyes and mimicked the drum beat with his own imaginary drumsticks.</p><p>Sora watched his roommate get lost in the music. The vocalist entered the verse, which quickly became one of the most distinct voices he’d ever heard. The blend of the instruments with his vocals was hypnotizing – Sora was instantly hooked. He found himself bobbing his head to the tune. It was a perfect amalgamation of heavy, soft, melodic, and downright <em>weird</em> that was so enticing.</p><p>Roxas’s eyes were still closed as he played his air-drums. “Seriously, Danny Carey is my favorite drummer. And Maynard’s a fucking weirdo, I love it.”</p><p>“Not gonna lie, it’s pretty awesome. How have you not showed them to me before?”</p><p>“Beats the shit out of me, dude.” Roxas paused to headbang and beat his pretend-drums harder when the chorus picked up. “I am so proud of Riku for exposing you to this.”</p><p>“Same,” Sora shouted over the bass, continuing to tap his foot and bob his head to the music. He put his focus back on packing his overnight bag and fighting with his decision on what to wear, yet again.</p><p>“We’re listening to Tool the rest of the night. You’ve got a lot of catching up to do, my friend,” Roxas shouted at him.</p><p>Sora didn’t respond, but silently agreed. He totally wasn’t opposed to listening to Tool – he was, after all, going to their concert in a few hours.</p><p>With Riku, for fuck’s sake.</p><p>“Oh wait! I’m pretty sure I have a Tool shirt you can wear,” Roxas stated, close enough to Sora’s ear that it made him jump slightly. “This way you don’t look like a total poser.”</p><p>“Gee, thanks.”</p><p>His roommate rummaged through the drawers of his dresser, humming lyrics along to the song in the background, until he found a black tee-shirt with the TOOL logo strewn across the front, and a wrench-looking figure in the shape of a penis printed on the back. He tossed it over to the brunette, who examined it with one eyebrow raised.</p><p>“Are you trying to make me look like an asshole?” he spat.</p><p>“Dude, it’s Tool. That’s normal for them.”</p><p>“Whatever you say, Rox.” Sora put the shirt aside and looked for a clean towel so he could take a shower. He waltzed into the bathroom, closed the door behind him, and turned on the faucet. He undressed while he waited for the water to warm up – he could still hear Tool songs playing in the background.</p><p>He stepped into the shower when it was warm enough, taking time to listen to the lyrics he could hear while the water poured over his body.</p><p>“So, do you like him?” Roxas’s voice echoed through the bathroom.</p><p>Sora wasn’t even surprised when this happened anymore. “God dammit, Roxas.”</p><p>“Well, do you?”</p><p>“You seriously need psychological help.”</p><p>“I’ve conceded that I’m out of my mind. But avoiding the question won’t get you anywhere, sir.”</p><p>The brunette let out a groan. He didn’t really know how to answer the question – sure, he was really attracted to Riku, and found himself craving his affection more often than not – but did he actually have any <em>feelings</em> towards him? Riku’s aversion to commitment definitely played a part in Sora’s reluctance to admit if there were any feelings.</p><p>He decided that giving Roxas as little information as possible was the best solution. “We’re just friends.”</p><p>“Right. So you’re going to pretend you <em>weren’t</em> mewling like a kitten in his bedroom last night?”</p><p><em>This fucking guy…</em> Sora thought to himself. “Friends with benefits.”</p><p>Roxas hummed. “Friends with benefits… who also go on dates?”</p><p>He’d be lying if he said the thought didn’t cross his mind as well. It was his first thought when Riku asked him to go. But he definitely wasn’t ready to talk to Roxas about all this. “It’s not a date. Just a concert that two friends – with benefits – are attending.”</p><p>“Mhm.”</p><p>“Can you just get the fuck out, please?”</p><p>“Since you asked so nicely, fine. Enjoy your shower,” the blonde said, his smirk audible through his tone.</p><p>And with the click of the door, he was gone. Sora took a deep breath and focused on the music in the background once again. The bass riff put him in a trance, and his thoughts took him to an imaginary scenario where he and Riku were standing next to each other at the concert. He closed his eyes and pictured Riku’s smile, his lip ring taunting Sora until he pulled the silver-haired man close enough to plant a desperate kiss on his lips. He imagined their kiss deepening to the melody of the music, becoming more intense as the song accelerated. Riku’s hands were traveling along Sora’s sides, and he explored Riku’s torso – running his fingers along the dermals on the man’s hips, until he moved lower near Riku’s groin.</p><p>Sora kept his eyes closed as he took hold of his growing erection, his imagination taking him to another plane of existence where he and Riku were feeling each other up at the concert – the heavy music made the scenario even more erotic – and Sora continued pumping himself between heavy breaths and dirty thoughts.</p><p> </p><p>xXx</p><p> </p><p>Riku sat in his sunroom, slowly puffing on a tightly wrapped joint as <em>Fear Inoculum</em> echoed throughout the room. He was pretty high – he didn’t intend to get this high, but his thoughts were devouring his brain.</p><p>He originally planned on going to see Tool alone, but Sora threw a wrench in his plans (no pun intended). He surprised himself when he didn’t hesitate to spend an extra $275 on a ticket for Sora – not that money was a problem for him, but he hadn’t spent this much money on someone since high school.</p><p>Riku stared at the night sky through the glass above him, taking a deep breath. He absolutely refused to believe he was crushing on someone. <em>Infatuation</em> was more fitting.</p><p>Although… he hadn’t felt this way towards anyone in a very long time. It was disturbing, because he closed off his heart so much in attempts to avoid this exact situation. He was angry with himself, for many reasons, but now these pesky emotions made him feel guilty – he felt like he was taking advantage of Sora in his heartbroken state. Riku had done this many times in the past with the uncaring nature of a sociopath, but he couldn’t figure out why he <em>fucking cared</em> this time.</p><p>But he knew, deep down, that he would lose if the decision came down to him or Kairi. He always lost; he was the “other guy” every time. And everyone else was just another notch in his belt. He was content with this.</p><p>The key word being <em>was</em> – until Sora came along.</p><p>Riku was getting more agitated the more he thought about his inner conflict. He knew he shouldn’t, but his craving for an opiate was stronger now than it had been in two years. The weed just wasn’t cutting it.</p><p>He fished through his stash until he found a baggie of non-prescription Percocet. Riku’s heart started racing at the thought of using again, but he couldn’t handle the inner turmoil. He told himself, over and over again, that this will be a <em>one time </em>use. Anything more is unacceptable.</p><p>Riku made his way into his kitchen, where he crushed a single pill until it was fine enough to snort. He separated the powder into two lines and leaned down to sniff the substance until he felt the burn in the back of his eyes and the bitter taste in his throat. He swallowed hard before leaning down to take the second line.</p><p>He felt immediate relief. Riku’s pupils constricted, making his green eyes more prominent. His eyelids became heavy and his body felt like it was floating. His mind became numb.</p><p>The <em>vrrt, vrrt </em>of his phone on the surface of the island made him perk up. It was a text message from Sora, telling Riku that he was ready to be picked up.</p><p>“Fuck,” Riku said to himself. He was a little nervous to drive in this state, but he composed himself by thinking that he’d driven in a much worse state than this before. He could handle it. Besides, he was a mere twenty-five minute drive away from spending more time with the object of his desires.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Oof...</p><p>I am so sorry, Riku. I hate to do this to you. And sorry to torture you, Sora.</p><p>This is only going to get harder to write. What a tangled web we weave!</p><p>Much love to all my readers, you're all beautiful and amazing. Thank you for your patience and support!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. I Don't Like Darkness</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Whew... I'm so sorry about the delay, everyone! I work in healthcare and this pandemic has made work pretty tough, so I haven't had much time to write.</p><p>Anyways, in this chapter - we get a tease from the lovely Riku! Meanwhile, Sora deals with his masculinity... or lack thereof.</p><p>Citrus for all!</p><p>Have fuuuuun :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I really am sorry,” Sora said for the third time. “I hate being an inconvenience.”</p><p>Riku glared at the man in the passenger’s seat of his car. “I told you, Sora, I don’t mind driving you at all.”</p><p>“Either way, it’s not going to stop me from feeling like a pathetic piece of shit.”</p><p>Riku was trying his damn hardest to multitask, keeping his eyes on the road and focusing on Sora’s words. Trying to hide the extent of his high was proving fairly difficult with everything happening. “If I have to drive you around like Miss Daisy, I will.” He flicked on a turn signal to switch lanes, concentrating hard on his surroundings before doing so. “Can’t afford a car or something?”</p><p>Sora collapsed into himself, holding his hands together and licking his lips before muttering, “I… Never learned how to drive.” He said it so softly that Riku could barely hear the words.</p><p>“You were never taught?”</p><p>“Not really,” he whispered, obviously embarrassed.</p><p>Riku wanted to grab the brunette’s hand to prove there was no judgment, but he knew taking a hand off the wheel or his eyes off the road would be too much for him to process in his current state of mind. Besides, he promised Sora that he wouldn’t put him in danger. “I’d be honored to teach you one day.”</p><p>Sora’s eyes shined brightly as he looked at the silver-haired man with disbelief. “But… you’ve already done so much for me.”</p><p>Riku chuckled. “That’s what friends are for, right?”</p><p>“Yeah… friends,” Sora replied. Riku hardly noticed it, but he could’ve sworn he saw the smaller man roll his eyes when he said the words.</p><p>Riku was not in any state of mind to start ruminating on the reaction, so he simply turned the dial to the stereo to increase the volume. Tool songs were on a loop to properly prepare for the concert.</p><p>The pair were locked in silence for the remainder of the car ride, but neither of them felt awkward. The music in the background likely made the silence more comfortable – Riku was practically on auto-pilot as he kept his concentration on driving as safely as possible and keeping his heavy eyelids from drooping. In his peripheral, he noticed Sora mumbling to the lyrics of some of the songs. He was silently impressed with how quickly he had learned the songs. Riku knew that Sora was lying when he said he ‘knew Tool and <em>loved</em> that band’… The green eyed bartender’s intuition was too sharp to be fooled by such an obvious lie.</p><p>Plus, his twisted mind found solace in the knowledge that he wasn’t the only one keeping secrets.</p><p>And not to mention, his brain continued to remind him of the small baggie of pills in his left pocket that dragged him so deep into the darkness every time he used them.</p><p> </p><p>xXx</p><p> </p><p>Sora and Riku removed themselves from the vehicle once they found a spot in the parking lot. Before making their way inside, though, Riku grabbed the brunette by his elbow and pulled him close – Sora was expecting a quick kiss, but was instead greeted with a tightly-rolled blunt in his face.</p><p>“You want to make this experience <em>really</em> unforgettable?” Riku whispered, rolling the blunt between his forefinger and his thumb.</p><p>The taunt was irresistible. “Absolutely,” he responded.</p><p>Riku leaned against the hood of his car and lit the end of the blunt, inhaling the contents with the same ease he always did. He offered the blunt to Sora, who gladly indulged in the glory.</p><p>Once half the blunt was finished, Riku snubbed it and wrapped the remainder in a plastic bag before stuffing it underneath the floor mat near the back seat. He then reached into the center console of the Mustang and sprayed himself and Sora with cologne, readying themselves to enter the arena.</p><p>They waltzed inside, both feeling their respective highs, and made their way to the oval-shaped bar in the center of the first floor, where Riku (like the gentleman he was) paid for their overpriced twenty-four ounce cans of beer. After Riku generously tipped the bartender, they ventured into the center of the venue where the concert was to take place, finding their seats directly behind the pit, just as Riku promised.</p><p>Sora noticed a large projection of a skull using LED lights of varying colors on a black curtain drawn around the stage in front of him. The glowing colors made his eyes shine bright and he admired the sight in front of him.</p><p>He was still getting comfortable with experiencing his life through a different lens – the type that only Riku was able to provide so far. He looked at the man sitting next to him, contemplating how he could get used to this lifestyle with Riku as his friend… and possibly more. But the words the silver-haired man spoke earlier were still ringing in his brain.<em> That’s what friends are for, right?</em></p><p>Sora was actively trying to push the thought of them being anything more than friends to the back of his mind. Riku was straightforward in his intentions, and Sora didn’t want to complicate their blossoming friendship with deeper feelings. He convinced himself that he was satisfied with the concept of friends with benefits – even if it was just temporary.</p><p>“Sorry, Sora. I need to use the bathroom before it starts,” Riku’s voice echoed through Sora’s thoughts. “I won’t take too long.”</p><p>The silver-haired man walked away with a sway in his hips and a quick smile over his shoulder like he knew he was being watched and wanted the most out of it.</p><p>Sora sat in silence and continued to stare at the bright lights on the stage, watching the seats as well as the pit fill with eager bodies as time passed. Varying types of characters entered the stadium, from mo-hawks to tattoos, children to old men, gathering together in a small space to enjoy one singular performance.</p><p>He pulled out his phone, checking the messages he’d received from Kairi the night prior. Sora still hadn’t responded to the messages, and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to. Especially not right now, where sparking a conversation with her could potentially sabotage this wonderful night.</p><p>He didn’t realize how long he had been staring at his phone until the house lights began to dim and the sounds of people cheering started to echo throughout the stadium.</p><p>Sora wondered what Riku was doing – possibly taking a phone call? He began looking left and right down the rows in search of the silver-haired bartender, confused as to where he could’ve disappeared.</p><p><em>Come on… please… There are better ways to ditch me. </em>Sora thought to himself, paranoia from the marijuana setting in.</p><p>Thankfully, though, a tall figure began swimming through the row of people in their seats and was making his way back to the seat next to the worried brunette.</p><p>“Sorry I took so long, I got lost,” Riku said.</p><p>“No problem,” Sora replied, shrugging slightly to let him know that he’d hardly noticed.</p><p>Riku’s green eyes looked down at the ground, and Sora could sense something different about him. It was difficult to describe, but he somehow seemed <em>looser</em>. The way he stood, held his head, and the strange smile on his lips.</p><p>“Sorry… My bad,” he mumbled, wiping his nose with the back of his hand. He giggled slightly.</p><p>Riku… <em>giggled…</em>?</p><p>The curtain pulled back to reveal a stage fully set with drums, three microphone stands, and a raised platform in the back of the stage. A blaring noise filled the stadium with heavy bass and an overwhelming cheer from the audience.</p><p>Sora was excited – that much was true – but he had an expanding feeling of unease from whatever Riku had just done in the bathroom. He returned differently… nothing too noticeable, but his speech was tired-sounding, his cheeks were flushed, and his pupils were pinned. Normally, Riku’s eyes were enormous like pools of green obsidian, but his pupils had shrunk to dim black dots, almost invisible within the darkness.</p><p>“Loosen up,” Riku said, nudging Sora with his elbow.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“You’re as stiff as a board. Loosen up, you’re about to witness beauty at its finest.”</p><p>The brunette attempted to loosen his arm, but it felt as though it didn’t belong to him anymore. Sora looked to his counterpart while the members of Tool entered the stage and began their performance. Riku seemed to enjoy everything around him – mesmerized by the lights and watching the band members harmonize in perfect symphony.</p><p>Lyrics to the beginning of <em>Fear Inoculum </em>soared through the venue, and Sora’s body felt like it was floating from the combination of weed in his bloodstream and the hypnotizing sounds of Maynard’s vocals.</p><p>Out of nowhere, he felt a hand snake into his own, fingers slipping between his. A firm squeeze caused him to shoot a look in Riku’s direction, who was smiling so sweetly it made Sora’s heart melt.</p><p>Apparently Sora’s thoughts didn’t match his outward expression, though, because Riku’s smile dissipated before he spoke.</p><p>“Sorry,” Riku started, slightly releasing the grip he had on the brunette’s palm. “I don’t like darkness… and you’re full of light. I like feeling your comfort.”</p><p>Those words were enough to make the butterflies in Sora’s stomach start a mosh pit. He sighed like a girl in middle school falling for her crush, but luckily the music was loud enough to stifle the noise. He returned Riku’s grip with a squeeze of his own and a genuine smile.</p><p>Whatever energy Riku was emanating that bothered Sora before was completely absent now – the two men enjoyed the remainder of the concert with warm hand-holding and sidelong glances.</p><p> </p><p>xXx</p><p> </p><p>The pair walked through the door to Riku’s enormous home, singing lyrics to Tool as they reminisced about the magnificent experience they shared together.</p><p>“Well I can finally cross that off my bucket list.” Riku took his jacket off and hung it on the coat rack resting next to the door. “They haven’t toured for almost twenty years. And here we are, lucky enough to say we got to witness Tool play a live show!”</p><p>“Such a great feeling,” Sora replied, flashing a toothy smile. “Seriously, Riku… Thank you so much for taking me.”</p><p>Riku strut towards the smaller man until he was inches away from his frame. “My pleasure,” he cooed, brushing two fingers under Sora’s chin.</p><p>He shivered, wishing he could control his nerves whenever Riku touched him. He felt his cheeks getting hot and he looked away before Riku could notice.</p><p>As he turned, his eyes targeted the pole situated in the middle of the living room – Sora’s curiosity got the better of him, and although he already knew the answer, he asked anyway. “So… what’s the deal with the pole?”</p><p>Riku looked at the object in question and smirked. Before speaking, he walked towards it and wrapped both palms around the metal device. “Ha, you didn’t think I’d be able to pay for all this from only bartending, did you?” His smirk grew into a small teasing smile.</p><p>The brunette rubbed the back of his head, a little embarrassed. “I… may have heard about that.”</p><p>“Oh?”</p><p>“Through the grapevine.”</p><p>“Would Axel happen to be the grapevine?”</p><p>“Well, Roxas told me. And he heard it from Axel. So, yes?”</p><p>Riku hummed. “Axel would be correct. This is how I practice, so I can hone my skills. The money is totally worth every second I practice.”</p><p>Sora didn’t respond; he didn’t really know what to say. He stepped toward the large device and touched it out of curiosity. It was cold, but smoother than he imagined, like it was slicked with grease. He gripped it, turning his hand to see how dancers spin so gracefully on it. The entire pole turned with his hand, which baffled him. “Whoa! It turns?!”</p><p>Riku laughed at the innocent man’s surprise. “How else did you think it moved?”</p><p>“I didn’t know it moved! I thought it was just… ya’know… really difficult to spin around on this thing.”</p><p>“Then congrats,” Riku responded, reaching into is pocket to obtain the plastic bag with the leftover blunt from earlier, “you discovered our secret.”</p><p>Sora continued to spin the pole in his hands, intrigued by this recent revelation. He held back the urge to start turning around it – his mind was cooking up all the different ways he could swing around the device. He figured it was best to avoid further embarrassing himself, though.</p><p>“Come on, let’s finish this thing off.” Riku nodded towards the sunroom.</p><p>Sora followed the taller man into the glass room, taking a seat next to him on the wicker couch next to the hot tub. Riku sparked the end of the blunt back to life, puffing gently until the cherry was bright red, his green eyes glowing in the surrounding blue LED lights.</p><p>As Sora took his puff, he began thinking about the mysteries that weren’t clear about Riku and how he got into this situation. What made him start pole dancing? Why was he so adamant about avoiding commitment? And what the <em>hell</em> did he do in the bathroom earlier at the concert? He absently picked at the pieces of wicker that were intricately woven into each other while he explored his thoughts.</p><p>“You alright?” Riku asked in the silence.</p><p>Sora looked up, locking eyes with the beautiful guy in front of him. He remained silent for a moment, unsure how to proceed with a question that wouldn’t be too imposing. “Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just, I’ve never been, um… <em>intimate</em> with another guy before,” he started, hoping the remainder of the conversation would lead to dragging more information out of Riku, “and you’re so confident about everything. I don’t want to be rude when I ask this…”</p><p>The other man perked up. He was definitely interested. “Damn, sounds like you really have something to say. Enlighten me.”</p><p>“I’m curious. What exactly <em>is</em> your preference?”</p><p>“Hm. Good question,” he muttered. Riku took another puff from the blunt, deep in thought about his answer. “I guess I don’t have a preference. I just look for a genuine human connection, whether that’s in a male or a female, it doesn’t matter to me.”</p><p>“When did you discover… both?”</p><p>Riku clicked with his tongue. “It’s a long story, but essentially it happened through my work.”</p><p>The brunette wanted more details. Vague and cryptic answers weren’t cutting it. “I’ve got time.”</p><p>Deep green eyes rolled and Riku let out a defeated sigh. “I had to grow up quick. I needed a way to make a lot of money, and fast. To support myself and-”</p><p>He stopped himself briefly for some reason, but continued.</p><p>“-anyway, I had to push my dignity aside and exploit my looks for money. It wasn’t easy, but god <em>damn</em> the money is addicting. But of course, with this lifestyle comes a lot of sex, drugs, alcohol… everything. So, to rake in as much money as possible, I experimented with men and women alike. And I guess it made me appreciate the allure of physical touch from both genders, regardless of their anatomy.”</p><p>Sora’s blue eyes blinked, taking it all in. “That’s beautiful, Riku.”</p><p>“Glad you think so,” he said with a shrug of his shoulders. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Riku spoke again. “I’m sorry.”</p><p>“Why are you sorry?!”</p><p>“For dragging you into this... <em>underworld</em>. I’ve tainted you.” The look in his eyes was something Sora hadn’t seen in him before. Possibly guilt, or shame. He didn’t like seeing it on Riku.</p><p>“You know,” Sora began, scooting closer to the silver-haired man next to him. “I think I like it.”</p><p>For the first time, Sora made a move with the same confidence Riku had. He placed a hand on Riku’s thigh to position himself, and used his other hand to turn Riku’s face toward his own. The taller man gently touched Sora’s forearm as he was pulled into a kiss. Their tongues softly danced around each other for the duration of the brief exchange.</p><p>It was Riku who pulled away, but his lips were curled into a smirk. “Let me show you something.” He pulled Sora off the couch, guiding him into the living room by his forearm. He practically threw the smaller man onto the gray couch in the room and hovered over him. “Stay there, and don’t move. I want you to watch this.”</p><p>Intrigued, Sora’s blue eyes were wide (and most definitely bloodshot) as he watched Riku fiddle with the dimming lights, creating a dark ambiance around the room. He then walked to the entertainment center across from the couch, where he hooked up his phone to the auxiliary cord. A slow, seductive tune started blaring through the speakers and the bass, completing the ambiance that was eerily similar to the strip club.</p><p>Riku looked over his shoulder, bit his lip ring, and the green in his eyes turned a shade darker. He turned around and his entire demeanor changed as though he was about to put on a performance.</p><p>
  <em>Wait. Is Riku </em>
  <em>about to…</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Dance?</em>
</p><p>The tall silver-haired man slowly strut towards the pole, still biting his lip ring, a smile playing on his lips. He kicked the pole in sync with a beat in the song, the slight <em>twing</em> of metal singing along. Riku grabbed the pole with both hands to prop himself before he grind against it with his whole body, resembling a wave in the ocean.</p><p>Sora felt all the heat in his body rise to his cheeks and his jaw dropped at the sight. Yet another reason to find Riku so <em>fucking attractive.</em></p><p>Without breaking eye contact, Riku seductively walked around the pole until he was standing in front of it, directly in front of Sora, and his back was against the metal. He stood with his legs apart, on his toes, and his arms were raised above his head while they gripped the pole. He began bending his knees, descending agonizingly slow in time with the music, giving Sora a perfect visual of his open legs.</p><p>The brunette couldn’t help but notice how tight Riku’s jeans were, outlining every muscle in his legs. When Riku was bent as far as his jeans allowed, his arms let go of the pole and he ran his hands down his thighs before giving them a slap in time with a beat. He swiftly turned to face the pole, hooking one of his knees around it and pushing off to start spinning gracefully. As he spun, he gradually descended lower on the pole until he was on his knees on the floor. His legs were still straddling it; he used his arms to pull himself up slightly to bounce his ass along to the song.</p><p>Sora took note of Riku’s tight and toned ass. He breathed deeply as the heat in his cheeks lowered to his growing penis.</p><p>The silver-haired dancer gracefully rose to his feet, never letting go of the pole. His legs swung to tightly grip the metal with his thighs, so tight that he released his hands from the pole and he stretched until he was parallel to the floor. He used his free hands to rip off his shirt, tossing it to the floor. The dim lighting of the room created shadows around Riku’s body, making him look even more ripped than usual. Sora could see the dermals in his hips glimmering in the light.</p><p>Riku used his abdominal muscles to pull himself back up to grip the pole with his hands and released his legs. With one last graceful spin, Riku lowered his feet to the floor before letting go of the pole entirely.</p><p>His eyes locked onto Sora’s blue ones, and the brunette realized the taller man was advancing closer to the couch where he was seated. Sora’s eyes widened when he realized the pole dance was about to turn into a lap dance.</p><p>
  <em>Oh, fuck. Fuck. Fuck.</em>
</p><p>Riku bent over until he was eye-level with the smaller man. His hands traveled along Sora’s thighs, rubbing up and down in a rhythm. Their eye contact was so intense, Sora wanted to look away, but he couldn’t. Not with what was currently happening.</p><p>In one swift motion, Riku turned his back to Sora and lowered his hips into the brunette’s lap, hands still on his thighs to balance himself as he grinded. Riku’s body was moving in time with the song, his torso moving in the same wave-like motion as earlier, except this time it was against Sora’s chest. Riku continued to look over his shoulder to make eye contact with Sora until he was in close proximity to the brunette’s neck. The green-eyed dancer was breathing so heavily that Sora could feel his breath on his neck. Sora’s hands wrapped around Riku’s hips as he continued to grind.</p><p>The smaller man realized he was grinding back into Riku’s hips, but he wasn’t sure when exactly that started. He was so unbelievably turned on that he thought he’d cum in his pants soon. It was evident how Riku made a killing doing this.</p><p>Sora had an overwhelming desire to pleasure the man grinding on him. He lightly pushed Riku off his lap, guiding him onto the couch in order for Sora to climb on top. He straddled the silver-haired man’s hips and glided his fingers along the bare skin underneath him, feeling the small dips on his torso where muscles were prominent.</p><p>Without hesitation, Sora unbuttoned the tight jeans that hugged Riku’s hips – the large bulge indicated that his member was suffocating in the confines of the material. Both men worked together to peel off the jeans from Riku’s legs.</p><p>Sora paused for a moment; the realization of going down on another man was hitting him. Especially seeing how <em>large</em> Riku’s member was – it was obvious, even though it was still hiding behind the fitted boxer briefs he was adorning.</p><p>“You okay with this?” Riku asked through bated breath.</p><p>The brunette simply nodded, unable to swallow the lump in his throat to properly respond with words.</p><p>Riku smirked and pushed his underwear off his hips, releasing his penis from its prison. He propped himself on his elbow to sit up slightly, grabbing Sora’s shirt to pull him into a kiss in hopes of breaking some of the tension.</p><p>The music was still playing in the background, and their kiss made everything more tantalizing for Sora. Once he felt more comfortable, his hand hovered to Riku’s pulsing member, not yet breaking their locked lips until he was ready.</p><p>After stroking Riku’s shaft enough to familiarize himself with its length, Sora finally mustered the courage to make his way down to his lover’s hips.</p><p>He hesitated yet again, a little intimidated by being so close. He continued pumping along the length as he closed his eyes and went for it. Sora opened his mouth enough to place Riku’s tip in his mouth – he earned a sharp inhale through gritted teeth from the taller man, which gave him enough confidence to continue.</p><p>Sora mimicked what he knew would feel good for him, bobbing his head slowly up and down Riku’s dick, as deep as he could handle. Hearing small groans from the man underneath him fueled his hormones. He felt a hand tangle itself into his chocolate brown locks, pulling at the strands of unruly hair. Eventually Riku’s hand started gently pushing Sora’s head farther down the shaft.</p><p>It was pretty hot, being forced to take more of Riku’s member into his mouth. He tried his hardest to take as much as he could, but the consistent assault to the back of his throat proved to be too much to handle, and he choked on Riku’s cock.</p><p>But the sound must’ve turned Riku on, because he didn’t let up on the pressure. He started bucking his hips as his groans turned into heavy moans.</p><p>“Yes, Sora… Fuck yes…”</p><p>Sora was trying to breathe through his nose and keep up with the pace. Hearing Riku’s moans made the knot pooling in his abdomen to gather in his swollen balls.</p><p>“C’mon, baby.”</p><p>Sora moaned into the bigger man’s penis as he came in his pants, but he tried his best to proceed without distraction – he used both his hands to pump the base of Riku’s dick as he continued slobbering on the tip.</p><p>“C’mon… I’m right there.”</p><p>Riku let go of the brunette’s hair and used his hand to grab hold of his member. Sora took that opportunity to release from Riku’s tip – almost instantly, a hot stream of white liquid gathered in a pile on the pale abdomen beneath him.</p><p>Sora wiped his mouth on his sleeve to dismiss the excess saliva. Both men were panting heavily, and Riku was visibly spent. The smaller man pushed himself to his feet, steadying his balance enough to walk into the kitchen and grab paper towels to help clean up.</p><p>He returned with a few paper towels, letting Riku wipe his cum from his stomach. He lazily tossed the used paper towels onto the floor and opened his arms wide, inviting Sora into them.</p><p>Sora obliged, cuddling close to the warmth of Riku’s body. He felt the remains of drying sweat on Riku’s neck, but he didn’t mind. The couch was barely wide enough to fit both men on it, but Sora was happy to take this opportunity to cuddle closely next to the sexy man. The intimacy was sorely needed.</p><p>“Well, congratulations,” the brunette said softly.</p><p>Between breaths, Riku struggled to respond. “For what?”</p><p>“Single-handedly taking my masculinity from me.” He giggled, playfully punching the silver-haired man’s muscular chest.</p><p>Riku chuckled. “Lucky me.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Okay, that was my first time writing about pole dancing. It's harder than I could've imagined. Be gentle with me!</p><p>And it seems like Riku's a bit of a dom. I love it.</p><p>I hope to get the next chapter out sooner rather than later.</p><p>Love always!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Wounded</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Whew, I finished this chapter just in time (my self-imposed deadline)!</p><p>Please enjoy the cluster-fuck. We're approaching the climax and I have no idea how to pull it off. Here's to hoping.</p><p>Thank you to all my supporters, cookies for all of you!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Seriously, who would’ve thought Terra could bag someone like Aqua?” Roxas muttered into his cell phone, which was wedged between his ear and his shoulder as he held his skateboard between his legs, tightening the wheels with a wrench. “Not me.”</p><p>“Me either,” Axel replied, neglecting to stifle a yawn through the receiver. Moments passed before he said, “Don’t you have class soon?”</p><p>Roxas awkwardly twisted his body to examine the clock on the opposite wall – it was nine o’clock in the morning. He and Sora had Statistics 101 in an hour. He shivered at the thought. “Ugh… don’t remind me.” Whoever decided to schedule Statistics any time before 12pm deserved a hefty kick in the nuts. The blonde removed his skateboard from his lap and placed it on the ground, preparing to lift himself from the floor to wake his roommate.</p><p>Halfway to a standing position, Roxas realized his roommate was at a certain bartender’s house.</p><p>“Fuck, I forgot about the concert last night. Has Riku texted you at all?”</p><p>“Nah. Why would he?”</p><p>“Um, because he’s with Sora, and I haven’t heard from Sora since he left last night,” Roxas retorted. “I need to make sure he gets to class.”</p><p>Axel was silent for a moment, which gave Roxas the opportunity to create the mental image of fire-red hair in a ponytail, as it generally was first thing in the morning. He heard squeaks from the bedsprings as Axel adjusted his position, and Roxas tried his damn hardest to avoid thoughts of his half-naked body beneath white sheets on that bed.</p><p>“Since when do you get so fired up about going to class?” Axel inquired.</p><p>Roxas let out an exasperated sigh. “It’s not about <em>me</em> going to class, it’s about Sora.”</p><p>“So,” Axel said slowly before taking a drag on either a cigarette or a blunt (Roxas wasn’t sure which), “when’s the wedding?”</p><p>Roxas rolled his eyes, even though his boyfriend couldn’t see it. “Stop, Axel. Don’t get jealous over my impeccable ability of being a responsible friend.”</p><p>“You,<em> responsible?</em> Listen Roxy, I’m curious. Not jealous,” his voice grew into a low purr in the speaker. “Let me know if you get in touch.”</p><p>Roxas closed his eyes, pretending he was inches away from the red-head, imagining their foreheads touching before placing a kiss on his lips. “Thanks, Ax. I will.”</p><p>“Talk to you soon.”</p><p>Roxas ended the call with his boyfriend, with a rather pathetic attempt to hide the toothy smirk on his face before he attempted to call his roommate.<br/><br/></p><p>xXx</p><p><br/>He heard some kind of buzzing, resembling a fly trapped between a screen and a closed window – an annoying sound that would start and then stop, which would inevitably start again, because flies were fucking dumb and could never figure how to get outside, despite how many times they’d beat themselves against the surface.</p><p>Sora muttered something incoherent, likely about flies being stupid, and shifted against the solid warmth beside him – with every intention of going back to sleep.</p><p>The buzzing stopped briefly, only for it to resume several seconds later. Sora groaned into the shoulder underneath him, attempting to ignore the intrusion and get some much-needed rest.</p><p>“I think that’s your phone,” Riku murmured against his temple.</p><p>Sora released a chain of vowels within his breath, totally incoherent in his vegetative state. When the buzzing stopped, he fell back into a light doze.</p><p>The vibrating buzz stirred once more.</p><p>“Might want to get that,” the warmth mumbled once again, nudging him in the ribs.</p><p>The brunette breathed heavily and lifted his head from Riku’s shoulder, rubbed sleep from his eyes, and squinted at the floor where the mysterious buzzing sounded. He stretched a hand towards the floor and felt around for his phone, accidentally caressing Riku’s discarded clothing and crusty paper towel before he found the shape of plastic that was his cell.</p><p>He kept one eye closed while he pressed the green button to answer the call, without bothering to read who the call was from, flopping back onto Riku’s warm shoulder. “H’lo.”</p><p>“SORA, WE HAVE CLASS IN AN HOUR!”</p><p>The brunette winced and pulled the phone away from his ear until the yelling subsided; a hazy cloud was still hovering over his brain and he was unable to process the screaming on the other line. “Roxas?”</p><p>“Yeah, who the FUCK else would it be?”</p><p>Sora hissed, blinking a few times to wet his extremely dry eyes. “Something wrong?”</p><p>Roxas growled into the phone. “You’re about to fail out of your classes, asshole. Statistics, NOW.”</p><p>Sora attempted to process the words through his half-asleep brain, pitifully trying to sit up from his comfortable position on Riku’s couch. “Oh, shit.”</p><p>“Oh shit is right.”</p><p>“I’ll be there as soon as I can,” Sora grumbled, trying to stand up steadily. “If I’m late, cover for me.” He scanned the room for his scattered shoes.</p><p>“Fine. But if you’re more than ten minutes late, I forfeit the charade.”</p><p>“I appreciate it.”</p><p>“Uh hunh.” Click.</p><p>Sora’s arm gave up clutching his phone, slumping his shoulder as he ran his tongue along his teeth, still struggling to force his brain to awaken. He cleared his throat and sluggishly looked at the naked man next to him on the couch. Riku’s skin was still glistening from sweat, which was a bit out of place – it was fairly cold in the house, especially considering they were no longer cuddled next to each other.</p><p>“I hate to ask, Riku…”</p><p>The man shivered. “It’s okay,” he said, eyes still shut – he sounded like he was somewhat in pain. Now that Sora’s eyes were open and he was able to process information, Riku seemed paler than normal.</p><p>“You sure? You look sick.”</p><p>“I’m fine. Let’s go,” he growled, as though he were a totally different person.</p><p>Sora didn’t respond – he’d normally chalk the behavior up to Riku being adverse to mornings, but he’d never seen him act like this. It seemed as though his eyes turned a glowing red, but this could’ve been Sora’s imagination. He continued to lace his shoes, pushing the concern to the back of his mind.</p><p>The ride back to the dorm was silent, but instead of comfortable silence, it was awkward this time around. Whenever Sora would take a glimpse at Riku, he’d be clenching his jaw and his breath was hitched. If he asked any questions, he’d be met with either silence or a glare, so he decided against speaking in general.</p><p>They pulled up to Salisbury State, and Riku parked in front of Sora and Roxas’s building.</p><p>“Thanks again, for everything,” Sora stated, eyes focusing on the matte-black horse decal on the floor mat.</p><p>“Yup.” Riku swallowed, refusing to make eye contact.</p><p>Without a more intimate interaction (which Sora had secretly hoped for), he exited the vehicle, feeling like he was partaking in the ‘walk of shame’ so many people experienced in college. His hair was a trainwreck, his breath smelled like rotten eggs, and his eyes were baggy. Riku drove off in a hurry, nearly peeling out of the parking lot without providing as much as a ‘goodbye’.</p><p>Deep down, Sora felt like a piece of meat that was dumped at the doormat, but he pushed these feelings aside to preserve what was left of his masculinity.</p><p>He poked his head through the door of he and Roxas’s dorm before entering, trying to assess the situation and see if the coast was clear enough for him to dart into the bathroom before he presented himself to class.</p><p>No sign of an obnoxious blonde roommate.</p><p>Sora ducked into the bathroom before lighting struck him or something. He figured he didn’t have time to fully shower, so he resorted to rinsing his matted hair in the sink.</p><p>“You smell.”</p><p>The brunette jumped at Roxas’s voice, but he should’ve known better than to expect peace and quiet. “I’m working on it.”</p><p>“No, you smell like-” Roxas paused abruptly, frowning and wrinkling his nose. “You smell like-”</p><p>There was a long pause in the bathroom, with the sound of tap water echoing around the silence.</p><p>Roxas suddenly burst out laughing. “You got <em>laid</em>?!” His voice was more of a shriek than anything, and Sora was thankful for the tap water running.</p><p>“I DID NOT, ROXAS.”</p><p>His blonde roommate continued cackling, holding his abdomen for support. “Whatever, dork. Hurry your dirty ass up.”</p><p>Sora groaned while he continued to clean himself up for class.</p><p><br/>xXx</p><p><br/>“You know, Sor-a,” Roxas sing-songed as the pair trudged through the hallways on their way to the torture that was Statistics, “I haven’t seen you this cheerful since, like, the first week you and Kairi started dating.”</p><p>Sora offered a fierce glance to his counterpart, basically implying: ‘<em>how dare you mention her name to me.’</em></p><p>Roxas ignored the glare and the message it conveyed. “All things considered, I guess…” he mumbled in response to Sora’s general <em>mess</em> with which he was presenting. Apparently, his sad attempt at ‘cleaning up’ didn’t do him any favors. “Who pissed in your Cheerios this morning?”</p><p>“Nobody.”</p><p>The blonde’s expression turned into an exasperated one. “Doesn’t seem like ‘nobody’.”</p><p>Sora pulled his phone from his hoodie pocket to check for any new notifications, but was met with none. An annoyed puff of air escaped his nostrils as he stuffed the phone back into his pocket.</p><p>Roxas looked frantically between the visibly upset man and his pocket. “Don’t fucking tell me you’re waiting for her to text you.”</p><p>“Rox…”</p><p>“Listen dude, I’ve been real nice about this whole thing, but at this point I have to tell it like it is-”</p><p>“Roxas.”</p><p>“There’s no chance. Zip. Zilch. Goose egg. Time to move-”</p><p>“ROXAS!” Sora’s voice echoed throughout the hallway, and they both came to a sudden halt.</p><p>For once, Roxas stopped talking and listened.</p><p>“It’s not about her.”</p><p>“Then… Riku? What happened with Riku?”</p><p>Sora didn’t respond, he only turned on his heel and continued towards their destination.</p><p>Roxas immediately picked up the pace and caught up to his roommate. “Wait, seriously. What happened?”</p><p>The brunette closed his eyes and rolled them behind his eyelids. “I honestly have no idea.”</p><p>Roxas was about to respond (although he didn’t know what to say at the time), but both their heads turned to one of the couches in the distance, where Kairi was comfortably seated on Cloud’s lap. The couple were tantalizingly close to each other’s faces, as if they were sharing an intimate moment where the rest of the world didn’t exist; pulled into each other’s gravity.</p><p>Sora’s heart stopped beating, if only for a moment, until he was able to catch his breath and process the picture in front of him. It was a tableau – all the models were in place, carefully and concisely, but it lingered like Mom’s expensive china set, dangling dangerously on the edge of the table. If anyone reacted too quickly, it would shatter on the floor, resulting in incomprehensible punishment.</p><p>Cloud and Kairi were so invested in each other’s presence that they failed to notice the two on-lookers just a small distance away. But Sora’s stomach felt a familiar tightening in which he couldn’t control; a painful reminder that it still fucking <em>hurt</em>.</p><p>He took it as a small victory, though, that he ceased to feel the urge to vomit.</p><p>This was the moment in which Sora felt an overwhelming desire to talk to Riku, to smoke, to drink – <em>anything</em> to drown his feelings. Full reactionary impulses took over and Sora pulled his phone out, pulled up Riku’s name, and angrily poked at the letters on his phone’s keyboard. <em>‘I really need you right now.’</em> Somewhere deep in his conscious, an almost-thought surfaced in the depths of his brain, vaguely reminding him of how he was using Riku for revenge against Kairi.</p><p>Roxas wrapped his arm around Sora’s neck and guided him away from the sight. The two continued to walk the path to Statistics 101, heads held high and pretending as though they were invincible.</p><p>Once they settled into their desks next to each other, Roxas and Sora shared a mutual reassuring look. Both knew the inevitable – Kairi was also in this class, and Sora hadn’t been in such an enclosed space with her since The Incident. The brunette buried his nose into his phone, eagerly awaiting a response from the elusive Riku, attempting to take his attention away from the moment when Kairi would eventually walk through the door, likely with disheveled hair and swollen lips.</p><p>Every moment that passed without a text from Riku was a moment of suffering, only made worse by the ticking time bomb that would eventually go off once Kairi walked through the door. And without a tasty text message exchange from Riku, Sora would have no other choice but to focus on his ex-girlfriend’s presence.</p><p>By some stroke of luck, he felt the faint buzz of his phone in his pocket.<br/><br/></p><p>
  <em>Riku:</em>
</p><p>
  <em>10:03 AM: It’s very dangerous to tease me like that, Sora.<br/><br/></em>
</p><p>The brunette’s lips upturned into a smirk that he desperately tried to disguise. He licked his lips and glanced around the room as though he were hiding an amazing secret underneath his desk. Same ol’ Riku was back.<br/><br/></p><p>
  <em>Me:</em>
</p><p>
  <em>10:04 AM: Maybe I meant to.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Riku:</em>
</p><p>
  <em>10:04 AM: </em>
  <em>Wait, first off</em>
  <em>, is everything ok?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Me:</em>
</p><p>
  <em>10:05 AM: It is now!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Riku:</em>
</p><p>
  <em>10:05 AM: Great. Because I need you right now too.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>10:05 AM: I need to feel your body against me.<br/><br/></em>
</p><p>Sora cupped his mouth with his hand, unable to make any noise or react in any other way.<br/><br/></p><p>
  <em>Me:</em>
</p><p>
  <em>10:07 AM: Like we were earlier this morning?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Riku:</em>
</p><p>
  <em>10:08 AM: More.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Me:</em>
</p><p>
  <em>10:09 AM: Well if you’ve got something you’d like to tell me, then please do.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Riku:</em>
</p><p>
  <em>10:09 AM: I’m not strong enough to say no to you. I have poor discipline.<br/><br/></em>
</p><p>Sora shifted in his seat, completely ignoring everything going on in class at the moment, including the professor’s droning and monotone beginning-of-class lecture. If Kairi had eventually showed up, he was none the wiser.<br/><br/></p><p>
  <em>Me:</em>
</p><p>
  <em>10:11 AM: I’m no better. I’m paying more attention to you than class at the moment.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Riku:</em>
</p><p>
  <em>10:11 AM: Oh? Then I’ll have to discipline YOU…<br/><br/></em>
</p><p>The heat was visibly rising in his cheeks, he couldn’t hide that fact anymore. He wasn’t sure how to respond, but he knew he was getting turned on.</p><p>What he <em>wasn’t</em> expecting was a picture. And this particular photo swiftly popped up in the chat log, without warning. Sora caught a millisecond’s glance at the picture, but it was painfully obvious that Riku was nude. He wasn’t able to properly admire it, but the split-second view was enough to make him whimper – quite audibly, to his dismay.</p><p>All students, including the professor, turned their eyes on Sora.</p><p>“Sorry, excuse me,” he announced, abruptly bringing himself to a standing position before he darted to the men’s bathroom down the hall.</p><p>In the privacy of the stall in the back of the room, Sora sat on the toilet seat to allow himself proper balance to view Riku’s nude picture. He opened the screen on his phone once more and stared – he <em>really stared</em> – his eyes couldn’t look away. The picture was angled in a first-person view, with Riku lying on his bed, and his chiseled abdomen was in plain sight. Beyond his four dermals sparkling in the flash of the camera was a clear view of Riku’s hand, tightly gripping his bigger-than-average member, hard as a rock.</p><p>If Sora wasn’t flustered before, he most definitely was now. He ran his hands through his hair and took a deep breath. He seriously considered taking this opportunity to jack-off real quick in the bathroom stall, but ultimately decided against it, for various reasons. He settled on simply responding with <em>‘You’re a bastard.’<br/></em></p><p>
  <em>
    <br/>
  </em>
  <em>Riku:</em>
</p><p>
  <em>10:28 AM: Behave, Sora.<br/><br/></em>
</p><p>He quietly cursed at Riku and his teasing, but gathered his dirty thoughts and pushed them to the back of his mind. Sora exited the bathroom stall, took a quick glimpse at his reflection in the mirror, and left the bathroom.</p><p>The moment he opened the door, he was met with a short girl with blue eyes and short auburn hair standing a short distance from the doorframe.</p><p>“I knew I’d find you here, Sora!” Kairi exclaimed with a little too much excitement in her voice.</p><p>Sora opened and closed his mouth a few times, unsure how to react. “Uh. Hey, Kai,” he greeted, waving a meek hand at her.</p><p>“You can’t ignore me now. I’ve got you trapped.” She wagged a chastising finger in his face.</p><p>“Right, sorry about that…” Sora struggled, rubbing the back of his head, “I didn’t really know how to respond.”</p><p>Kairi giggled as though it was no big deal, despite the anger in the texts she had displayed. She grabbed his hand and pulled him closer to her, leaving only a few inches of space between them. “You know, Bear… You’re looking really good today.”</p><p>She smelled like coconuts and lotion, something Sora didn’t realize he missed until now. He was confused as to what was happening, and hesitant to get closer to her. He didn’t know if this was a trap, some type of twisted revenge plot to get back at him for ignoring her the other night. Sora wanted to tread very lightly, so the safest response was, “I am?”</p><p>Kairi placed her hand around Sora’s bicep and gently dragged her palm down his arm. “You’re <em>glowing. </em>I can’t remember the last time I saw you like this. It’s hot.”</p><p>Sora furrowed his brow and looked directly into Kairi’s eyes. At this point, he wasn’t entirely sure if this sequence of events was actually transpiring. “Wait, really?”</p><p>“Tell me, Sora. Who’s making you happy these days?”</p><p>The line of questioning was surely unexpected. Sora wracked his brain for a response – he didn’t want to admit to many people that he’d been messing around with a man, <em>especially</em> not to Kairi. Besides, Riku made it perfectly clear that he’s strictly into friends-with-benefits; no interest in a relationship. “N-Nobody…”</p><p>“Good.”</p><p>In that instant, Sora felt Kairi place her lips onto his – soft, heartfelt, and a faint taste of mango flavored lip balm. His fingertips caught sparks and the bruises on his heart began to heal. Although this moment was everything he’d been hoping for within the last couple weeks, the pesky thought of<em> this is</em><em> wrong</em> was poking at the back of his mind.</p><p>The kiss ended as quickly as it started once Kairi pulled away. She placed a single finger on his mouth. “Our little secret,” she giggled again before adding, “Call me later.”</p><p>And just like that, she turned around and walked back into the classroom.</p><p>Stunned, Sora forced his legs to start moving in the same direction and enter the classroom soon after Kairi. He found his desk and mechanically lowered his body into the seat.</p><p>Roxas, with a look of utter confusion, mouthed a dumbfounded ‘w<em>hat the </em>fuck<em>?’ </em>in his classmate’s direction.</p><p>‘<em>Tell you later’</em> Sora mouthed back. He still paid no attention to anything the professor said.<br/><br/></p><p>xXx<br/><br/></p><p>“She did <em>what?!</em>” Roxas shouted, echoing through their dorm.</p><p>“You heard me.” Sora was sitting on the edge of Roxas’s bed, looking down and twiddling his thumbs.</p><p>Roxas was pacing around the room, trying to control his anger. “That bitch. That fucking <em>bitch!</em>”</p><p>“Rox, calm down.” The brunette put his head in his hands. “She asked me to call her.”</p><p>He stopped in his tracks and darted his eyes at his roommate. “No. What about Riku? I thought you two had a thing going on.”</p><p>Sora lifted his head from his hands and shrugged. “I told you before, we’re just friends. He’s made that perfectly clear.”</p><p>Roxas dashed to his friend’s seated position on his bed and stood in front of him. “No, Sora, please.” He got down on his knees and took Sora’s hands into his own. “Don’t fall for her bullshit. Please. I just got you back, I can’t lose you again.”</p><p>A pleased smile morphed on Sora’s face, taking comfort in his roommate’s genuine concern. This side of Roxas was incredibly rare to see. “I’ll be careful, don’t worry yourself.”</p><p>“Hmph,” the blonde stated, bringing himself back to a standing position. “I was kinda hoping you’d refuse to call her, but I can’t stop you.”</p><p>“Thank you.”</p><p>“You better believe I’m staying right here and listening to the whole thing, though.”</p><p>“Fine. Here goes nothing,” Sora sighed, pulling his phone out from his pocket. He found Kairi’s contact and dialed her number.</p><p>After about two rings, Kairi answered with a cheerful tone. <em>‘Hi sweetie!’</em></p><p>“Hey, love…” Sora tried to match her cheery demeanor, but to no avail. He was <em>sure</em> he saw Kairi and Cloud canoodling on the couch earlier, so her sudden change of heart was unfitting. “I have to ask. Why are you doing this?”</p><p>Roxas was in the corner of the room, grinning with a thumb up.</p><p>“<em>Aw, Sora. Didn’t I say I still want you in my life? It’s not that hard to understand.”</em></p><p>“No. You’ve been more, um, how should I put this-”</p><p>“<em>Affectionate?”</em></p><p>“Sure, yeah.”</p><p>“<em>Well if I’m being totally honest, Cloud and I have been fighting a little. </em><em>It’s making</em><em> me think about how much I miss you.”</em></p><p>Things weren’t adding up. Their body language didn’t <em>seem</em> like they were fighting. Quite the opposite, actually.</p><p>“Oh.” Sora wanted to call her out on her lies. He <em>wanted </em>to tell her he knew her manipulation tactics, he <em>wanted </em>to tell her to go fuck herself and to never contact him again, but he <em>couldn’t. </em>He had no explanation for it, but he <em>could not </em>bring himself to do it.</p><p>“<em>I mean it, Sora. I miss you.”</em></p><p>Rage started to make itself known in his veins. His pent-up anger boiled underneath the surface. Even though he still couldn’t muster up the courage to tell her off, he reacted poorly to her pseudo-sincerity. “Did you fuck him?”</p><p>Roxas’s jaw dropped and he clapped his hands to his mouth to stifle laughter.</p><p>“<em>What?!”</em></p><p>“It’s a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ question, Kairi. Did you fuck yet?”</p><p>Sora saw his blonde counterpart walking around the room, eyes to the sky, with two triumphant palms raised above his head.</p><p>“<em>Oh my god, Sora. No. We have not.”</em></p><p>“Really? Then did you blow him?”</p><p>“<em>What the hell? Where is all this coming from?”</em></p><p>“Please. For my own closure, I need to know.”</p><p>“<em>This conversation is </em>not<em> what I expected it to be.”</em></p><p>“Just answer the damn question, Kai.”</p><p>“<em>Ugh, fine. If you need to know, we’ve… </em>teased<em> each other. But nothing came of it.”</em></p><p>Sora ran his tongue along his teeth, unable to fully buy what she was telling him. But he relented, and accepted her answer. “Okay. Thanks.” Anger still seethed through his body, but he was able to control it now.</p><p>“<em>Can we please have a normal conversation now?”</em></p><p>Sora shook his head, knowing he wasn’t ready for a ‘normal conversation’ with her. “Sorry, I don’t think I can do that yet. I need to process this. Whatever… <em>this </em>is,” he explained, motioning his hand in a circle even though Kairi couldn’t see it.</p><p>“<em>I understand. Take all the time you need.”</em></p><p>“Alright. Bye, Kai.”</p><p>“<em>Love you, Bear.”</em></p><p>Sora declined to reciprocate her last sentiment and ended the phone call. He looked over at Roxas, who seemed like he was about to burst from excitement.</p><p>“Dude, you are a GOD!” He dove onto his bed and tackled his roommate with a giant hug. “That was amazing. I’m so proud of you!”</p><p>Sora smiled, quite proud of himself as well.</p><p><br/>xXx<br/><br/></p><p>Riku adjusted the cufflinks on the lone cuffs he wore (considering there was no shirt attached to them) as well as the black-and-silver tie around his neck. His tight black pants were low enough for the black thong straps to peek out from his hips. Sweat glistened on his skin, as he was just finishing a ten minute private dance session.</p><p>He walked to the bar, where Terra was working. He was the only bartender on shift tonight – since it was Monday night, management generally didn’t think there was a need for two bartenders.</p><p>“Bored yet?” Riku asked.</p><p>“Maybe I am, and I was enjoying my time alone,” he teased. On queue, Terra poured a shot of Jameson for his co-worker as he generally did when Riku finished a private dance.</p><p>“Sucks to be you,” Riku retorted, throwing back his shot with ease. “Listen, something has been bothering me and I need to talk to someone.”</p><p>Terra’s ears immediately perked up. “You never ‘need to talk’. What’s the matter?”</p><p>Riku took a seat on a bar stool and rested his chin in the palm of his hand. “I fucked up, Terra. I fucked up bad.”</p><p>The bartender immediately stopped washing the glasses and leveled his eye contact with the green-eyed man across from him. “Shit, Riku. Please don’t tell me…” he lowered his voice and brought himself closer to Riku’s ear to whisper, “Heroin?”</p><p>Riku shook his head. “No.”</p><p>Relief washed over Terra’s face. “Oh thank god.”</p><p>“Percs.”</p><p>“Fuck, Riku! That’s not much better.”</p><p>“You think I don’t know that?” Riku clutched his fists together, anger and self-loathing brewing to the surface. “I only used a few times, but I felt withdrawal this morning. It scared the shit out of me.”</p><p>Terra ran his fingers through his hair and stopped to grip a chunk of it to help himself process the information. “So… You didn’t use today?”</p><p>“Nope. I made myself sweat it out before I came to work. It wasn’t as bad as it was before, but I don’t want it to get to that point again. I can’t do that to myself.”</p><p>“Or to me, you asshole.” Terra gripped his heart as though he were recovering from a coronary. “Seriously, dude. Next time you get any urges, call me. Okay?”</p><p>Riku looked into his friend’s icy blue eyes. “I will. Thanks, buddy.”</p><p>“I’m here for you. I mean it.” Terra grappled Riku’s shoulder and gave him a light shake.</p><p>“I know you are.” He patted the hand on his bare shoulder. “Could you hand me my phone?”</p><p>Terra reached under the bar and pulled Riku’s phone from the charger, handing it to its owner. Riku checked his notifications, immediately realizing he missed a call from Sora.</p><p>“Shit. I have to call Sora back, I’ll only be a few minutes.” Riku slid himself off the bar stool.</p><p>“Your parasitic relationship with him isn’t doing you any favors,” Terra shouted in Riku’s direction before he got too far away.</p><p>Riku turned around. “Mm, I disagree. It’s a mutualistic relationship, if anything.” He winked at his friend before turning back around and making his way to the dressing room.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Falling</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Oof, it's been a month, has it?</p><p>Honestly I meant to post this chapter a couple weeks ago, but I had a sudden change of direction for which the next few chapters would unfold. So I apologize for the shortness as well, but there's a method to my madness. Please enjoy the cuteness while it lasts... It won't be much longer...</p><p>I LOVE YOU ALL and I hope this pandemic isn't too harsh on you. </p><p>Don't do drugs, kids!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The remainder of the week went by with virtually nothing of interest, aside from the back-and-forth between Sora’s interactions with Kairi and/or Riku. The conversations with Kairi were brief, mostly because Sora wasn’t sure how to properly interact with her after the stunt she pulled outside of the men’s bathroom. Sometimes she would send inconspicuously suggestive texts, which<em> really</em> threw Sora for a loop and he’d shyly reply with a non-committal blushing emoticon or something. But regardless of his internal conflict, their short exchanges were positive ones.</p><p>As for Riku, however – despite his musings of desire in his text messages on Monday, Riku had not suggested for Sora to keep him company for several days… much to the brunette’s chagrin; but Sora was too timid to suggest it himself, even though he wanted to awaken the kinky beast that slept inside him. He simply didn’t have the confidence to invite himself to Riku’s house without help from his subtle hints.</p><p>By the time Friday approached, however, Riku had one of his charming-as-fuck moments where he gallantly arrived to Sora’s building without notice – and of course, without hesitation, Sora trotted outside where his chariot awaited.</p><p>These events are what led to the two men sitting on the couch, a bowl of popcorn separating them, watching some comedy movie that Sora was hardly paying any attention to.</p><p>Instead, his eyes were affixed to the silver-haired man next to him. The lights were off, but the ambiance from the television created a highlight on Riku’s features. He stayed oblivious to Sora’s stare, completely invested in the movie. A small pink tongue poked out, claiming a piece of popcorn before it disappeared into his mouth. Sora grinned, infatuated with the sight in front of him. Riku’s grassy green eyes were shining in the glow of the television; his complexion was flawless. Perhaps this was the first time Sora was really <em>seeing</em> Riku for the first time – completely vulnerable and raw, but beautiful all the same.</p><p>That was the best way for Sora to describe him; Riku was fucking <em>beautiful</em>.</p><p>The deep green eyes hesitantly pulled away from the screen to glance at the brunette, who was blatantly staring with his own cerulean eyes. “What?”</p><p>Sora made no attempt to hide his gawking. “Nothing,” he replied, still grinning.</p><p>“O-kay,” Riku shrugged. He moved the popcorn bowl to the floor next to the couch and shifted closer to Sora. He stretched his legs along the couch and placed his head on the brunette’s lap, snuggling into his leg until he was comfortable.</p><p>Sora’s hands hovered over Riku’s head for a second, unsure where to place them, trying to register what just happened. Once Riku was nestled comfortably, Sora lowered his hands to the scalp underneath him. He began massaging Riku’s head with one hand and stroking his silver hair with the other. His hair was so incredibly soft, like a warm, fuzzy blanket that you couldn’t stop petting.</p><p>His grin never subsided; in that moment, he pretended they were in a loving and faithful relationship. No lies, no drugs, no cheating, and no friends-with-benefits. Sora’s almost-thought of having feelings for Riku had now grown into <em>very loud</em> alarm bells ringing in his ears. It was unmistakable – Sora was crushing <em>hard, </em>and he couldn’t hide it from himself anymore.</p><p>The movie continued to play while Riku watched it intently, and Sora watched him intently. He tried his best to shift enough to hide his ever-present boner whenever Riku released a deep moan in response to Sora stroking his hair in the right spots.</p><p>Once the movie came to a close and the credits rolled, Riku pushed himself off the brunette’s lap and stretched, his shirt rising just enough to reveal an inch of pale skin that immediately drew Sora’s attention. The ‘V’ of Riku’s hips tormented him, making it more difficult to focus on anything other than inappropriate thoughts.</p><p>“So,” Riku cooed with one eyebrow raised and making direct eye contact, “I still need to teach you how to drive.”</p><p>Sora held his phone to his face to check the time, which read 10:00PM. “Now? Isn’t it a little too late?”</p><p>Riku laughed. “<em>Late</em>? This would normally be the middle of my shift.” He shuffled around the living room, meticulously cleaning the small mess that was made while they lounged on the couch during the movie – he turned off the television, picked up stray kernels of popcorn, and removed the popcorn bowl from the floor before he continued his thought. “Besides, we’re young. We can handle it.”</p><p>There was no arguing with that logic. “You’re not wrong.”</p><p>“I know I’m not. Come on,” Riku commanded as he grabbed Sora’s hand and practically dragged him into the garage where his Mustang was parked. “You’ll be an expert if you learn how to handle her,” he said, draping an arm around Sora’s shoulders and presenting his car as though it were the Ancient Inca Ruins.</p><p>Sora’s automatic response was to continually shake his head, uncomfortable with the idea of driving an expensive muscle car that belonged to the dude he was officially crushing on, especially learning <em>how to drive</em> in the damn thing. “Riku, I really don’t want to destroy your car.”</p><p>“You won’t. I know the perfect spot where you’ll have plenty of room to practice. Stay here for a second, I’ll be right back.”</p><p>Riku disappeared back into the house. Sora casually trudged around the car while he waited for him to return, studying the vehicle. His anxiety worsened with each step he took.</p><p>Riku re-appeared after a few minutes of leaving Sora to internally panic. He was holding two water bottles in one hand and clutching something else in the other hand; whatever he held was too small for Sora to distinguish. Riku approached the other man and opened his palm enough to reveal two tiny, red, tubular bottles with an unknown crystal-like substance inside them.</p><p>“What the hell is that?” Sora questioned, pointing at the tubes.</p><p>Riku wiggled his eyebrows. “So I guess that means you’ve never tried Molly before?”</p><p>The brunette blinked a few times. “In case you haven’t noticed, Riku, I hardly even drank alcohol before I met you.”</p><p>Riku flashed a mischievous smile, biting his lip ring in the process. “Well. This will be an unforgettable experience for you, then. As your super-awesome and super-helpful friend, it’s my duty to provide you with moments that will stick with you forever.”</p><p>Sora fully acknowledged that he would never agree to this under normal circumstances. He was painfully aware of Riku’s influence on him. Everything about this man screamed <em>‘Drugs, drugs, </em><em>m</em><em>ore drugs!’</em> which was kind of sad… but awesome.</p><p>Without waiting for the brunette’s response, Riku helped himself to the door of the Mustang, unlocking the passenger’s side door from the inside and waiting for Sora to approach as well. He figured he wouldn’t be able to refuse (this was Riku, after all), so with minimal reluctance, he stepped into the car soon after his counterpart.</p><p>Riku pressed a button somewhere on the rear-view mirror, causing the garage door to retract and disappear at an agonizing pace. The car crawled its way out of the walls of the garage, eventually moving to the main road. Riku was still at the helm of the controls, which Sora was thankful for, but it made him question what kind of plan was in store for him. Judging from Riku’s track record, this wasn’t going to be a simple driving lesson. Nothing was simple in this man’s world.</p><p>Although it was ten o’clock at night, Sora could see dark clouds looming in the sky, creating a foreboding atmosphere. A mixture of fear, anxiety, and excitement was dancing through his nerves. Music played through the speakers of the car, but Sora didn’t hear it – his brain was preoccupied with attempting to process (and finding ways to physically mask) the rainbow of feelings. It made matters worse that Riku was silent during the drive and wouldn’t offer any information regarding their destination or his intent.</p><p>As time passed, the roads became more narrow and much darker due to the lack of streetlamps and abundance of ubiquitous trees. Signs of life also became more scarce.</p><p>“So um,” Sora started, gnawing on a fingernail, “is this the part where you murder me in the woods?”</p><p>“You figured me out that quickly, huh?” Riku shook his head, feigning disappointment. “I guess this means you also figured out my secret identity as a serial killer.”</p><p>Sora narrowed his eyes. “I knew it,” he whispered, bringing a finger to his lips.</p><p>“I might be crazy, Sora, but I’m not a psychopath.” He flicked on a turn signal. “Although, I do appreciate the confidence in my ability to pull it off.”</p><p>“If you’re not going to kill me, then why don’t you tell me where you’re taking me?”</p><p>“Because. It’ll become obvious once we get there,” he explained, turning left onto yet another long, dark road.</p><p>Sora rolled his eyes. “Yeah, because you’ll start tearing my skin off and wear it as a suit.”</p><p>“Chill out, Leatherface,” Riku laughed, offering a poke to the brunette’s cheek.</p><p>He pouted. “I don’t even know what that means.”</p><p>Riku glanced to the passenger’s seat, perplexed. “Then you have no right to call out my methods. We’re almost there.”</p><p>Sora let out an exasperated sigh, settling in his seat and waiting for the ‘a-ha’ moment that was promised to him for when they arrived to their destination.</p><p>After one final right turn and approximately one mile further down the road, an enormous field emerged into his vision. A delicate chain-link fence aligned along the field, but Riku didn’t seem concerned with the poor attempt of blocking off the entrance. As if he’d done it thousands of times before, he scoped out a nondescript break in the fence that was <em>just</em> big enough to fit the car through. An orange ‘NO TRESPASSING’ sign ominously hung on the fence, but Riku proceeded through the gap with no regard for the warning.</p><p>Beyond the fence was a poorly paved road in the shape of an oval. It clearly wasn’t cared for, but the road was large enough for inexperienced drivers to make a myriad of mistakes.</p><p>“Welcome to The Raceway. It’s been out of commission for at least a decade, but people still do drag races and shit,” Riku said, unbuckling his seat belt to focus his attention on Sora.</p><p>His blue eyes stared into the abysmal road ahead of him. Even in darkness and with Nimbus clouds hovering in the sky, he could see the emptiness of the racetrack. “I guess this is the best spot to practice.”</p><p>Riku shuffled around the vehicle until he pulled out the bottles of water and small red tubes. He presented them to Sora with a serious expression. “Before I teach you <em>anything</em>, you have to agree to take this first. I’m going to make sure this is unforgettable for you, no matter what.”</p><p>Sora picked up the tube with his thumb and index finger, inspecting the contents carefully. He didn’t recognize the substance whatsoever. “Can you at least tell me what Molly does?”</p><p>“It’s like E.”</p><p>“What’s E?”</p><p>“Ecstasy. It makes everything feel fucking amazing.”</p><p>Sora continued inspecting the bottle. “Is this safe to do while I’m driving?”</p><p>Riku laughed at Sora’s innocence. “Well you won’t be <em>sober</em>, exactly, but it doesn’t make you hallucinate or anything. Just make sure you drink this-” he presented the bottle of water, “-and you’ll be fine. I told you, I wouldn’t put you in danger.”</p><p>Sora took a deep breath, thinking about those words. Two weeks ago, he’d adamantly refuse doing anything of the sort. But since meeting Riku, his world had been broadened in so many ways; all of which had been enjoyable thus far. He hung onto the phrase ‘I wouldn’t put you in danger’ and trusted Riku – something about the man was sincere enough to make Sora feel safe in his presence.</p><p>“Okay,” Sora replied. He took the water bottle and opened the tiny red container. Riku did the same, smiling wide enough to flash his perfect teeth.</p><p>The two confidently exchanged a nod before they tipped the red tube onto their tongues, allowing the substance to dissolve in their saliva after a few minutes.</p><p>Sora lapped his tongue to the roof of his mouth a few times. “Alright, now what?”</p><p>“Now we get to work. Switch with me.”</p><p>Riku pulled himself out of the car and walked to the passenger’s side, pointing a finger at Sora to move to the driver’s side.</p><p>Sora did as he was commanded, settling into the driver’s seat. The change in perspective was strange, but he tried his best to acclimate to the shift by studying the gadgets in front of him. Riku would point to certain buttons, explain their functionality, then move onto the next point. Sora did his best to remember the slew of new information, giving himself a mental time-frame to learn everything before the drug took affect.</p><p>“Alright, now put your foot on the brake and change the shifter into drive,” Riku instructed, keeping one of his hands on the steering wheel.</p><p>Sora did as he was told, hesitantly moving his foot to the gas pedal. The Mustang jerked quickly when he pushed the pedal harder than intended, but promptly started crawling on its own when Sora let off the gas, giving the brunette a feel for the way it operated.</p><p>“Good. Now put your hands on the wheel – 10 and 2.” Riku pointed at the spots and released his grip of the wheel to allow Sora to take control. “Remember to lightly press on the brake pedal if you need to stop.”</p><p>The brunette could only nod to acknowledge the directions he was being given since his brain was trying to concentrate. Even though he started off slowly, he was getting used to handling the vehicle pretty easily.</p><p>Riku continued to encourage Sora’s driving abilities, telling him to gradually increase the speed until he was comfortable. He would prompt Sora to turn the wheel if they approached a bend, where he automatically pressed on the brake to remain in control.</p><p>Sora was visibly excited and proud of himself. “Riku! I’m doing it! I’m driving!” he exclaimed quite often, confidence in himself growing along with the increase of the speedometer. He wasn’t sure if he was actually this excited, or the Molly started to work its magic. He didn’t care either way, though, because this was an incredible feeling.</p><p>“You’re doing awesome, Sora. Keep it up.”</p><p>The sky roared, sending off its warning that rain would start pouring soon, but Sora was feeling too glorious to stop. Within seconds, the clouds unleashed a massive amount of droplets that washed over the Mustang, creating an overpowering noise as the water pelted the car.</p><p>“Right knob turns the wipers on.”</p><p>Sora toggled on the windshield wipers with ease. The sound of the rain was soothing and the feel of the tires on the pavement was heavenly. He knew he was merely driving, but he felt like he was flying.</p><p>A sudden desire to feel the rain on his skin overcame him. Sora brought the car to a halt and put it in park. He knew Riku must’ve been confused, but he didn’t stay in the car long enough for him to question his actions.</p><p>Sora abruptly stepped outside, stretching his arms out as far as they would allow, basking in the pouring rain. The cold drops soaked into his skin, but felt good against the warmth of his steadily increasing body heat. He could see the steam vaporizing out of his pores – he was mesmerized by the sight. Sora’s brown hair flattened against his face and streams of water were trickling down his neck. He breathed in the heavy air around him, cold and crisp.</p><p>He was too busy enjoying himself to notice Riku had also stepped out of the car – initially to question Sora’s behavior – but he stopped himself to witness the adorable display of reckless abandon.</p><p>While Sora was lost in himself, Riku walked in his direction without him noticing. The taller man grabbed one of Sora’s outstretched hands and interwove their fingers, making his cobalt eyes shoot open while Riku pulled him close.</p><p>“You’re rolling hard, aren’t you?” he whispered darkly in Sora’s ear.</p><p>He laughed. “<em>That’s </em>what this is?”</p><p>“Don’t lie, I know you love it.” Riku’s eyes glazed over with lust as he leaned closer to the shorter man’s face.</p><p>Sora’s tongue poked out briefly to wet his lips. He was gazing deeply into the dilated pupils in front of him. “I sure do.”</p><p>They shared a kiss as romantic as the movies, with rain pouring over them while serotonin seeped through their bodies and their tongues enjoyed the taste of each other. If they weren’t in the middle of an abandoned racetrack with the Mustang’s headlights shining brightly in the darkness, they <em>may</em> have starting ripping off each other’s clothes. The kiss felt too fucking good.</p><p>Unfortunately, it was cut short when Riku was the one to break the kiss this time, grazing his thumb along Sora’s soft cheek. He paused for a moment while his eyes darted between both of Sora’s eyes, staring into his soul, before he spoke. “Don’t start falling in love with me, okay? You’ll be falling to the point of no return.”</p><p>That came out of nowhere.</p><p>And it ruined the damn moment.</p><p>Sora pulled from Riku’s grasp and cocked his head. “Okay then?”</p><p>“I’m just warning you, that’s all.” Riku nervously picked at his fingernails, but never broke eye contact. “I don’t want to hurt you. You’re too awesome and don’t deserve that.”</p><p>Sora was too out of it to get into it. “How considerate of you, Riku.” He waved a dismissive hand as though he were tossing the conversation aside. “Music! I need music right now,” he declared, darting towards the car, practically diving into the driver’s seat.</p><p>Riku followed soon afterwards with less enthusiasm, but swiftly situated himself into the passenger’s seat. Sora retrieved his phone to hook up to the auxiliary cord, but upon looking at the screen, he noticed three missed call notifications – all were from Kairi.</p><p>“I’ll have to call her back tomorrow or something,” Sora stated, mostly to himself, but loud enough that Riku heard.</p><p>“Or you could call her right now and tell her how much fun it is to be rolling on Molly with Riku,” he taunted, his signature smirk displayed proudly.</p><p>“Pfft, never,” Sora smiled back in a joking manner, despite knowing that The End of the World would befall him if Kairi found out about <em>anything </em>he had done with Riku. He pushed the thought aside because he wanted to enjoy the remainder of his high. He looked at the silver-haired man beside him through the fringe of his bangs with an evil grin. “Watch this.”</p><p>Before Riku could properly react, Sora had put the car in drive and pushed the pedal to the floor. The car fishtailed from the combination of the wet pavement and the sudden burst of speed; Sora’s inexperience with handling a vehicle going out of control caused the entirety of the car to spin out, tires screeching against the pavement.</p><p>“Sora… SORA! CUT THE SHIT. SORAAAA!” Riku was screaming, trying to hold back his laughter, gripping the ‘oh shit’ bar for dear life as they continued to spin out.</p><p>Sora couldn’t control his laughter or the car, but he finally let the pressure off the gas pedal until they came to a catawampus stop. “That was fun!” he giggled.</p><p>Riku put a hand over his heart to recover from the mini heart attack he had suffered. “Christ, you’re a nut.” He stared at the brunette in disbelief, laughing at his utter ridiculousness. “Now drive slow, straight forward, or I’m getting out and walking.”</p><p>The brunette shook his head. “No you won’t.”</p><p>Riku continued to stare blankly and pointed towards the road. “J-Just keep steering.”</p><p>They laughed together once again before Sora straightened the vehicle and continued his unforgettable driving lesson. He was on top of the world, blissfully unaware of the events that would eventually unfold by the end of the night.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>*Evil laughter*</p><p>You all asked for it.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Robbers</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Yikes. Let me start off by saying I am SO SORRY for keeping you all waiting so long, I know this left off with quite a cliffhanger... I didn't mean for this to take so long.</p><p>So let's see what trouble these two get into, shall we?</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Even though Sora had almost crashed the precious Mustang on The Raceway, Riku graciously allowed him to continue his lesson on the dark roads surrounding the track. The molly was still profoundly in their systems, but Sora had no trouble driving. He had gotten the recklessness out of his system and he was adhering to the law while on the road, aside from the obvious ‘operating a vehicle without a license’ or ‘driving while under the influence.’</p><p>The rain was still coming down pretty heavily, but Sora kept his window down because his body heat was making him sweat despite the cold air outside, and the cool rain felt good against the arm that was casually hanging out the window. Even if they felt like tiny pellets of hail.</p><p>The song that was playing through the speakers was abruptly lowered. Sora glanced at the stereo and discovered Riku as the culprit.</p><p>“The fuck, Riku? Kill my vibe, why don’t you,” he teased.</p><p>The silver-haired man scoffed. “Excuse me, sir, but I was going to suggest treating you to a celebratory drink.”</p><p>Sora cocked his head to the side in contemplation, but quickly agreed. “I like your style.”</p><p>Riku winked before quickly turning the volume back up, blaring <em>The Kill </em>by 30 Seconds to Mars. “Sing it, Sora!” he yelled over the music.</p><p>A bright smile overcame him as he prepared himself. “BREAK ME-E DO-WN!”</p><p>“BURY ME!”</p><p>“BURY ME!”</p><p>The two finished out the song until it faded out, giving Riku the chance to guide Sora out of The Raceway through the small break in the fence they had originally entered.</p><p>“Alright. I know this little dive bar that you’ll love,” Riku explained once the car was back on the dark road.</p><p>“Dive bar?”</p><p>“Yeah, a little hole-in-the-wall that most people don’t know about.” Riku motioned for the brunette to make a turn at an incoming stop sign.</p><p>Sora flicked on the right-hand turn signal. “How in the hell do you know about dive bars around here?”</p><p>Riku brought a finger to his mouth and bit his nail, hesitant to respond, but his demeanor remained cool as a cucumber. “Shit from my past.”</p><p>Although his concentration was on the road and he couldn't properly show his confusion, Sora gave a quick puzzled look to the man in the passenger’s seat before turning his attention back on the road. “Your past brought you to dive bars in the middle of nowhere?”</p><p>Riku swallowed. “All my debts have been paid. We’ll be fine.”</p><p>Sora immediately stepped on the brakes, bringing the car to a halt and glaring at the silver-haired man. “<em>Debts</em>? Riku…” His stare was firm, but he didn’t exactly know <em>what</em> to ask. He came to the realization that he knew basically nothing about Riku’s past, or why the man had so much trouble sharing about it.</p><p>Exasperated breath escaped from Riku’s nostrils. “I got myself involved with some shitty crowds back then.”</p><p>Sora blinked, several times. Speechless.</p><p>“But I promise, that’s all been resolved. I told you, didn’t I?” Riku turned to look Sora directly in the eye, “I won’t put you in danger.”</p><p>There it was again, the sincerity in his expression that somehow exuded trust. Sora groaned, turning back to the steering wheel and putting the shift back in drive. “Promise you’ll open up to me one day?”</p><p>Riku placed his hand on Sora’s thigh. “Give me time, I will.”</p><p>“Guess that’ll have to do.”</p><p>Riku practically ignored the comment and continued to give directions to the dive bar he kept mentioning.</p><p>It had been approximately two hours since the two men took molly, so it was still taking effect in Sora’s system. His mind was racing two-thousand miles a minute, drawing conclusions about Riku’s ambiguous past – drugs were most likely involved, as well as sex. But to what extent did sex play a role? And what about that blonde girl? Was his heart broken enough to sell himself? Did Riku possibly have a… <em>pimp</em>? Is that what he meant by ‘debts’?</p><p>It was too much to process at the moment. He filed the questions away into his mental filing cabinet to think deeply about later.</p><p>Sora blindly followed the directions Riku gave to him. Streetlights slowly became more prominent and some buildings emerged, but it became more obvious that this part of town was particularly impoverished. Most of the buildings were dilapidated and aligned with graffiti. If Riku weren’t accompanying him, he’d immediately turn around.</p><p>“Turn left down this road, and it’s on the right. You can park in the alley,” Riku instructed, pointing to their destination.</p><p>Sora found an open space in the alleyway and parked the Mustang, internally thankful that parallel parking wasn’t necessary.</p><p>The two men exited the vehicle. Sora tossed the keys to Riku, wholly forfeiting control of the vehicle for the remainder of the night, deflating as the stress lifted from his body. He definitely didn’t feel comfortable driving an expensive car in a less-than-fortunate area of town.</p><p>“We’ll be okay. I’m right here.” Riku put his arm around the brunette, pulling him closer – perhaps he sensed Sora’s reluctance. “By the way… You look cool driving my Mustang,” he purred.</p><p>“Thanks.” Sora held back a cheesy smile and snuggled into Riku’s embrace for the few seconds it lasted, until they separated when they walked through the doorway. The building was so discrete, Sora couldn’t even identify a sign proclaiming its name anywhere on the outside. He was quite surprised <em>anyone</em> entered the damn place under the pretense that it was a business.</p><p>The pair entered the bar, which held a total of about twelve bar stools and possibly four tables. The entirety of the building was comparable to the size of Riku’s living room. There was a small makeshift band setup in the corner of the room, but no band members to be found.</p><p>“OMIGOD! ARMANI?!” The bartender squealed, directing her loud voice towards Riku.</p><p>“Hey, Yuffie,” Riku waved, calm and casual like usual.</p><p>The black-haired girl scuffled from behind the bar area to tackle Riku with an overly-exaggerated hug; legs lifted off the floor and everything.</p><p>Sora subconsciously crossed his arms in annoyance.</p><p>The bartender – <em>Yuffie</em> – loosened her grip, but continued to hang her arms around Riku’s neck and said something unintelligible. Sora wasn’t paying attention to the conversation, as he was preoccupied with decoding the nature of their relationship.</p><p>“– this is Sora.”</p><p>Sora had to break himself from the glare he was unknowingly giving to the girl when he realized Riku was introducing them.</p><p>“<em>Oh hello</em> there, Sora!” Yuffie exclaimed, jumping onto him in a similar embrace – an exaggerated hug, legs and all. Apparently this was simply her way of greeting people, friends or not.</p><p>“Hi,” the brunette responded, unsure where to place his arms.</p><p>“So you’re Armani’s new boy-toy, huh?” Yuffie questioned, arms still hanging from Sora’s neck.</p><p>“We’re <em>friends</em>, Yuffie,” Riku interjected. “Shut up.”</p><p>Sora was still processing. “A-Armani?” He looked at Riku for an explanation.</p><p>Yuffie spoke first. “It’s his signature scent!”</p><p>“It’s the first thing she noticed when we first met,” Riku explained.</p><p><em>So you don’t just wear it for me… </em><em>And I’m just another boy-toy,</em> Sora mentally pouted, but didn’t dare say it out loud. He gave himself props for biting his tongue.</p><p>“Come on, have a seat guys!” Yuffie guided the two men to a pair of empty seats that were placed on the edge of the bar, in close proximity to another door that seemed to be the actual entrance, rather than the side-door they entered.</p><p>Sora visually scanned around the small bar, examining the other patrons. Some were older men with gray beards and leather jackets, some were younger men with hoods over their heads; but they all shared a common <em>aura</em> about them – cold and sleepy but never closing their eyes, worn out and dirty-looking with tattered clothes that nobody seemed to care about... Riku carried himself in a way that was totally opposite from these people and he probably <em>should’ve</em> felt out of place, but he didn’t. At least, it didn’t seem like he did – he seemed <em>content</em>, like he was home.</p><p>In contrast, Sora definitely felt like he didn’t belong here. This was a world within a world. An underworld. A different world that he wasn’t accustomed to. But by simply being here, he was slowly becoming part of it.</p><p>Perhaps <em>this</em> was a taste of the “underworld” Riku referred to before.</p><p>Yuffie placed two pints of beer and two shots in front of the men. Sora figured he must’ve been spaced out when Riku ordered them.</p><p>The silver-haired man turned in his stool to face him, pinching the shot glass that was likely filled with Jameson, and raised it in preparation. “Here’s to you, Sora.”</p><p>The brunette grabbed his shot glass as well. “And to your odd teaching methods!”</p><p>“Unorthodox, I know.” Gulp. “But it worked.”</p><p>Sora finished his shot and cringed slightly. He thought he might not ever get fully used to the taste of Jameson. He looked down at his phone, remembering the calls he had missed from Kairi. He knew calling her right now wouldn’t be ideal, but he settled on sending a quick text so she wouldn’t worry herself. He shifted his sapphire eyes from his phone to Riku. “Can I ask you something?”</p><p>“What’s up?”</p><p>“What’s your opinion on second chances?”</p><p>Riku took a sip of his beer. “Personally, I don’t believe in them. Never seen them work out. Why?”</p><p>Sora shrugged and took a few gulps from his own beer, but didn’t respond.</p><p>“Is this about Kairi?”</p><p>“… Possibly.”</p><p>Riku sighed, shaking his head. “Look, I can spend all night telling you it’s a bad idea, then convince you not to bother,” he started, placing his hand on Sora’s shoulder, “but in all honesty, I’m no expert. If your heart tells you to do it, then go for it.”</p><p>The brunette chewed on his lip in thought. “That was actually really helpful. Thank you,” he smiled.</p><p>Riku gave Sora’s shoulder a squeeze before he let go.</p><p>The band had reassembled and started playing an original song.</p><p>“Hey Yuffie!” Riku shouted at the bartender.</p><p>She was pouring a beer from tap, but looked in his direction. “Yes?”</p><p>“Tell me your opinion on second chances.”</p><p>Yuffie’s face curled into one of disgust. “Fuck ‘em.”</p><p>Riku looked at Sora over his shoulder and gave a condescending ‘told you so’ look.</p><p>“Duly noted,” Sora responded as he rolled his eyes.</p><p>“Yuffie, could we get two more shots?” Riku asked over the noise from the band.</p><p>She nodded and poured both shots in front of the two men. Riku handed her cash and told her to keep the change. He grabbed the two shots and handed one to Sora, clinking his glass with the brunette’s before taking it with an expert gulp.</p><p>Riku put the glass back on the bar and stood up, grabbing Sora’s hands. “Let’s dance.”</p><p>Sora hesitated. “I can’t dance for shit!”</p><p>“Then I’ll teach you. Come on,” he insisted, yanking a bewildered Sora from the stool and guiding him to the open area in front of the band. There were a few other people standing up and bouncing gently to the song.</p><p>Riku’s hands remained clasped onto his partner’s, gently moving them back and forth in rhythm to the beat. Although Sora was uncomfortable, he tried not to think about how awkward he felt, especially since Riku’s eyes were fixed on his; and his face was a picture of pure delight. He didn’t want to disappoint the green-eyed beauty in front of him.</p><p>Sora’s breath caught in his throat for a moment, then a burst of energy surged through him. He started moving his torso along with Riku’s motions. Eventually they let go of each other’s hands and they were both jumping around, dancing without a care in the world. Out of the corner of his eye, though, he would watch Riku. He was dancing all on his own, eyes closed, moving like a dream. He looked so alive, like a child lost in time.</p><p>Sadly, the beautiful moment came to an end when the song faded into silence. The band thanked the crowd before going into a small speech.</p><p>The two men made their way back to their stools. Before Sora was able to seat himself, he felt an overwhelming urge to pee. “I have to use the bathroom, I’ll be right back.”</p><p>Riku nodded, and Sora disappeared into the bathroom. He relieved himself, then went to wash his hands. He looked at his reflection in the mirror, which revealed a sweaty face and rosy red cheeks. He ran his fingers through his stubborn spikes, where some had stuck to the sweat on his face. He heard faint yelling beyond the door, but he chalked it up to typical drunk people shouting over the band.</p><p>He continued fixing his hair, until he heard Yuffie screaming as well. His heart began to beat faster as he approached the bathroom door and pushed it open.</p><p>His eyes were instantly drawn to the noise, where he saw a crowd of people gathered in a semi-circle next to the bar. Then – with growing unease – he saw at least three large older men in leather jackets, all surrounding another man.</p><p>The brunette immediately recognized Riku. Sora was frozen in place, shocked at the sight, until one of the men swung at the silver-haired man, connecting with his jaw.</p><p>Rage boiled inside him as he assessed the situation. He’d been in a few fights before, but this would be the first time he took on three men. <em>‘Bring it,</em>’ he thought to himself.</p><p>He ran towards the semi-circle, drawing an elbow back in preparation to punch the guy who hit Riku. As soon as his fist connected with the man, the world around them descended into chaos.</p><p>Both Riku and Sora shifted into fight-mode, changing their thought process to everything reactionary and sensory. If someone was behind them, an elbow swung back. If someone was in front of them, a fist launched forward.</p><p>Sora couldn’t focus on Riku and wondered for half a second if he was doing okay; he must be, or Sora would be staring down all three men instead of one at a time. He was pretty sure something smashed into his nose at some point, but he didn’t take any notice of it.</p><p>One of them charged toward the brunette, but Sora slammed his fist under the guy’s chin without thinking about it. He felt the bone bruising his knuckles. He heard a curse and a loud <em>thud</em> of a body hitting the floor.</p><p>And then, there was a blood-curdling scream; one that was definitely a male’s voice. Sora paused to look for the source – a few feet away from him was Riku, who’d fallen to the floor. The man standing above him held a knife in his hand.</p><p>The world stopped when Sora realized what just happened. Riku had gotten stabbed, and blood was seeping out of his side. The three men ran out of the side door, probably to avoid being arrested for attempted murder.</p><p>“RIKU!” Sora shouted, shaking himself out of his daze, and rushed to Riku’s side. He was trying to prop himself up with an elbow, while his other hand was firmly placed over the wound. “Someone get me a rag! Please, hurry!”</p><p>Yuffie ran over with a clean bar rag and handed it to Sora, who immediately put it over the place where blood was steadily flowing. He couldn’t find the exact entry point because of all the blood, but he had to try. Riku was breathing heavily, sometimes groaning in pain.</p><p>“I’ll call the police!” Yuffie demanded.</p><p>“Fine, but waiting around for an ambulance will take too long… I have to get him to the hospital <em>now.</em>” Sora raised a bloody hand to Riku’s face, pushing his silver bangs out of his face. “I’ll drive to the hospital. I need you to try standing up.”</p><p>Riku nodded, using his free hand to push himself to a sitting position. He groaned loudly in pain, but persevered enough for Sora to gain leverage and help lift him to a standing position. Riku leaned onto Sora as the brunette held most of his weight – despite his size, he was able to support the body against him quite well.</p><p>The patrons in the bar stood in shock, but weren’t too keen on helping. Real nice folks.</p><p>Sora dragged Riku out of the door and to the Mustang. The silver-haired man leaned against the car and opened the passenger’s side door. He handed Sora the keys before being helped into the seat.</p><p>The brunette rushed to the driver’s side and quickly started the engine. He looked to Riku, who’s white v-neck shirt was almost fully red. “You know where the closest hospital is?”</p><p>“Y-Yeah.”</p><p>Sora drove the car to the main road and followed Riku’s directions. He was speeding, but he didn’t care. “What the hell happened?”</p><p>“I got stabbed, dude,” Riku retorted.</p><p>“No shit. I mean <em>before </em>that. The fight.”</p><p>Riku opened the glove compartment and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He grabbed one with his teeth and lit it. He took a long drag before speaking. “He called us faggots.” He seethed in pain, gripping his wound tighter with the bar rag. “So I called him a pussy-loving troll. Then he and his buddies started surrounding me. And you know the rest.” Another long drag of the cigarette. “Turn right at the light, the entrance is there.”</p><p>Sora remained silent, but kept stealing glances at Riku from the corner of his eye. Something about the way he was casually smoking a cigarette while covered in his own blood with a stab wound in his gut was so <em>sexy.</em> Sora felt bad for thinking it, because he knew this could potentially be fatal, but he couldn’t help himself. “Hey Riku?”</p><p>“Hm?” He was in the middle of another drag.</p><p>“You look so cool.”</p><p>Riku laughed, which caused him to start coughing, and the cough caused the wound to send a sharp pain up his side. His body impulsively writhed and he seethed.</p><p>“Shit, shit, shit. We’re almost there,” Sora panicked. He pulled into the round entrance where ambulances generally came through, but he figured he’d move the car later. Right now, he needed to get Riku inside.</p><p>He rushed to the passenger’s side door and pulled Riku to a standing position, leaning over his shoulders for support. Riku flicked his cigarette and walked inside the building with Sora.</p><p>As soon as they entered, the woman at the desk realized the emergency and called for assistance. Nurses rushed to the two men; two of them were hauling a stretcher. Sora tried to help the nurses, but he was shooed out of the way. Once they got Riku onto the stretcher, he grabbed Sora’s hand and squeezed it. “Thank you for saving my life,” he muttered with his signature smirk.</p><p>He was carted away from Sora, who was left standing in the middle of the lobby, covered in Riku’s blood. He looked down at the hand Riku was holding a moment ago, which was bruised and swollen – and now had blood on it as well. He took a deep sigh, preparing himself to wait it out until Riku was stabilized. He didn’t even bother to wash his hands.</p><p>Sora took a seat and pulled out his phone. He found the conversation with Kairi, finally deciding to send a text. <em>‘Sorry, crazy night. </em><em>T</em><em>ell you about it later.’ </em></p><p>He sat back in the chair and made himself comfortable, figuring he’d be here a while. He refused to leave until he knew Riku would be okay.</p><p>He closed his eyes, trying to stop his brain from imagining the worst possible outcomes of Riku’s status. The adrenaline, the molly, and the buzz from the night wore off quickly. Eventually Sora drifted into an uncomfortable sleep.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So uh... we can see where this goes, right? </p><p>I'll give you a hint: Wounds = Surgery = ?</p><p>And we all descend into madness. </p><p>THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT! I love every single one of you.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Red</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Yeaaaaaaahhhhhh.... I don't have an excuse for why this took so long. I'm so sorry. Stress? Writer's block? Work? Fear of failure? Fear of not being able to deliver? My kink is self-depreciation? Take your pick.</p><p>Either way, a special thank you to those of you who have stuck around this whole time. And of course, thank you to my newer viewers who are giving this fic a chance! Seriously, you're all the reason I breathe.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The entire right side of his body ached so much, he needed to remind himself to breathe through the pain. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been lying on the gurney, but it seemed like an eternity. He remained still while they poked and prodded and ran numerous tests; his eyeballs traced his surroundings, watching multiple staff members in blue scrubs rushing around the room. He sluggishly moved his gaze to the side, beyond the shiny silver platter of tools,taking note of a couple nurses and possibly a doctor preparing… something; he wasn’t sure what. The one in the white scrubs – most likely the doctor – turned to him and started asking questions.</p><p>
  <em>Deep breath.</em>
</p><p>Riku wasn’t in the mood to be interrogated about how he obtained the wound. He mostly used his energy to shrug through the questions being asked. He wanted to prove he was coherent, but the minuscule reserves in his body were quickly depleting. The nurses around him were inserting intravenous fluids in his right arm and taking his vitals on the left.</p><p>“Heart rate is rapidly increasing, doctor.”</p><p>“We must act quickly, then. We want to avoid putting his body in shock.”</p><p>Riku didn’t want to hear about the crisis his body would eventually enter, but he figured there was no choice at this point. He felt frozen.</p><p>
  <em>Breathe.</em>
</p><p>The doctor, with peppered hair and tired eyes, approached the operating table where Riku lay. He placed a callused palm on the edge of the bed. “Alright, son. Your CT scan and X-Rays came back with no remarkable results. It seems the knife only penetrated into the subcutaneous tissue.”</p><p>Riku nodded, unable to fully process what the doctor was telling him, but it sounded fine.</p><p>“I’m going to close the wound,” the man continued.</p><p>A small wave of relief washed over him, recognizing how lucky he was not to have any major internal damage to his organs or foreign objects stuck in his abdomen. All that was left was to make the <em>fucking pain go away. </em>He closed his eyes, mentally preparing for the stitching.</p><p>“We’re going to administer a small dose of Dilaudid to assist in managing your pain.”</p><p>Riku’s eyes shot open. <em>Deep breath.</em></p><p>
  <em>Breathe. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Breathe, dammit.</em>
</p><p>Riku didn’t verbally protest, which translated to consent for the medical team. The doctor delicately flicked the needle of the syringe before penetrating Riku’s flesh. Almost instantly, the drug began to take effect. His body surged with pleasure, putting him in a state that was all too familiar. The tingling, stinging sensation of his wound slowly faded away, numbness spreading through the rest of his body like a spiderweb. It felt like his entire being was being lifted into the air – light as a feather. He felt nothing, and it was <em>incredible.</em></p><p>Perhaps he should’ve said something; maybe asked for something aside from an opiate. But deep, deep down in his conscious, Riku wanted this. His manipulative addict-brain justified the situation and convinced himself that Dilaudid was necessary. Besides, this was like heaven on fucking Earth.</p><p>His vision was blurry. His body was numb. He was falling in and out of consciousness as the doctor worked on the wound. Eventually, everything was…</p><p>Gone.</p><p>xXx</p><p>
  <em>Silver hair was tangled in his fingertips as their lips were sloppily locked together, exploring each other’s mouths as though it were the first time. His body was being explored by Riku’s rough fingers, nails digging into his skin hard enough to leave small red trails on the surface.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>His hips were pushing into the muscular man on top of him, begging to be taken.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Riku removed his hands from tanned shoulders and pushed the hips grinding against him down into the mattress. “You’re driving me crazy, turning me on like that.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He smirked beneath heavy lidded eyes. “Maybe I want to.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Riku’s tongue poked out to lick his lips, then bit the metal ring </em>
  <em>anchored </em>
  <em>into his skin. “</em>
  <em>Then you’ll have to </em>
  <em>submit to me.” </em>
  <em>He removed his Coach designer belt from the loops in his jeans and made a loop with the buckle, creating a perfect wrist-sized circle.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He forcefully grabbed the hands underneath his weight, fastening a wrist into the loop. He tied the remainder of the belt around the brunette’s free wrist. He smirked, “You like it rough?”</em>
</p><p>“<em>Yes, please</em><em>.”</em></p><p>
  <em>Riku’s teeth grappled the remainder of the belt and tugged, tightening the grip. “Excuse me, sir?”</em>
</p><p>“<em>Please, </em><em>Riku…”</em></p><p>“<em>Sir?”</em></p><p>Sora moaned in response.</p><p>“Um, sir?” There was a poke at his shoulder.</p><p>Cobalt eyes shot open to reveal a nurse standing next to where he was seated in the waiting room. He felt heat in his cheeks, slightly embarrassed from his dream. He rubbed the back of his head. “Eh-hm. Yes?” Sora said as he cleared his throat and adjusted his position to hide his erection.</p><p>“I’m informing you that Riku has been stabilized and the surgery went well.”</p><p>Sora’s eyes widened. “Really? So he’s okay? Can I see him?”</p><p>The nurse was somewhat dismissive, flat and bored like this is a regular occurrence for her. “He’s resting and he may be a bit… out of it. But he is allowed one visitor at this time.”</p><p>Sora sighed in relief and clutched his chest. “Thank you,” he whispered to nobody in particular.</p><p>He forced himself into a standing position and followed the nurse to the room where Riku was assigned. His heart was pounding against his rib cage, excited and nervous to see his friend. The nurse stopped at the door, waiting for Sora to enter first.</p><p>The brunette stood frozen, taking deep breaths to muster the courage to open the door. He wasn’t exactly sure why his anxiety was getting the best of him, even though he wanted nothing more than to see Riku safe and sound.</p><p>“You may enter,” the nurse reminded him, motioning towards the door after a minute or two of Sora standing in silence.</p><p>Sora nodded at the woman and took one last breath. He placed his palm on the door and gently pushed the door open, mentally preparing himself for the worst. Beyond the doorway in the middle of the room was a hospital bed with Riku lying peacefully on the surface, adorning a light blue hospital gown on his lower half and his upper body exposed. A large gauze pad was taped to the side of his torso where he had been stabbed – the bleeding had clearly stopped, or at least slowed enough to not soak the fabric.</p><p>He apprehensively walked towards the bed, placing his hands on the edge as he knelt down. Riku looked pale but his chest was steadily moving up and down. Sora moved his palm to stroke Riku’s hair, an impulse that probably came subconsciously from his dream, but this time his thoughts weren’t sexual. The corners of his lips curled into a soft smile.</p><p>Riku responded subtly to the touch – his eyes remained closed, but he relaxed into Sora’s palm. His mouth formed into his signature smirk and there was a low groan. “Mm, Namine…?”</p><p>The expression on Sora’s face abruptly changed to one of contempt. <em>Who the fuck?</em> His hand retracted from the silver hair on impulse and hung in limbo.</p><p>Riku continued, “Don’t stop, babe…”</p><p>“Um… It’s Sora.”</p><p>Riku’s eyes remained closed, but his smirk curled into something more closely representing a smile. “You… I want you… With me,” he slurred.</p><p>Sora’s smile returned, imagining those words were for him, even if they might’ve been for someone else. Movement returned to the hand that was suspended in the air – this time finding its place wrapped in Riku’s relaxed palm. Sora gently rubbed his thumb along soft skin and squeezed tenderly. “I’m glad you’re okay,” he mumbled. He felt the sting of tears of happiness behind his eyes, but he managed to hold them back.</p><p>“Sora’s here… Saved… Me…”</p><p>Sora nodded, knowing Riku couldn’t see or comprehend his reaction, but figured the actions were futile anyway. Silence was the best option at the moment.</p><p>“She’s not mine… Don’t lie to me,” Riku groaned, eyelids twitching this time. Sora furrowed his brow but decided to remain silent, curious about this line of dialogue. “God... What did… I do?”</p><p>Questions flooded his mind, not having any clue what the fuck Riku was talking about.</p><p>“Sorry… left you… alone.”</p><p>Sora didn’t say anything. He <em>couldn’t</em> really respond, as he felt this was a conversation that he wasn’t meant to hear. He guessed the name ‘Namine’ was significant, but Riku never mentioned anyone with that name before.</p><p>Defeated, Sora stood up and gave a final pat to Riku’s arm before walking out of the room to give him his space. Having a meaningful conversation with him in this state was impossible. He trudged out of the room, glancing over his shoulder to look at Riku one last time before exiting. Once he confirmed that Riku had still not come to in a split-second miracle, he left the room and shut the door carefully behind him.</p><p>He returned to the lobby which had begun to fill with potential patients waiting to be seen. The sun was starting to come up and tried its best to shine through the clouds to reach the windows of the hospital. “Didn’t realize it was daylight already…” Sora mumbled to himself as he rubbed one of his eyes, tiredness hitting him tenfold.</p><p>“Excuse me, sir?” The receptionist called.</p><p>Sora turned around, unsure whether or not she was addressing him. She beckoned him with a single finger – apparently she was. He shuffled to the desk. “Yes?”</p><p>She immediately started clacking her fingers on the keyboard, typing away while she continued to speak. “Are you a family member for Riku?”</p><p>“Uh, no.”</p><p>“Does he have any family members we should contact?” Her tone was similar to that of the other nurse, flat and dismissive.</p><p>Sora didn’t recall Riku speaking about any family members. He was starting to feel super distant from the man… He seriously knew very little about him. “I um… I don’t know.”</p><p>The receptionist rolled her eyes. “Well then <em>who</em> are we going to contact when he’s ready for discharge?”</p><p>Quite rude, these people.</p><p>“I guess… Me?” he pointed to his chest and tilted his head. Sora figured he was the best person to contact in this situation anyway since he was directly involved.</p><p>“Name and number, please.”</p><p>Sora regurgitated the information to the woman as she entered it into the system.</p><p>“We’ll give you a call, then. Have a nice day,” she stated, shooing him away.</p><p>The brunette scowled at the lady and walked out of the building, feeling as if he’d been kicked out. The nerve of these staff members.</p><p>To his surprise, Riku’s Mustang was still parked in the roundabout. Considering how insensitive everyone was, he almost expected it to be towed. Sora sighed and entered the vehicle so he could move the car into a proper parking spot.</p><p>Once he found a suitable space, Sora turned off the engine and sat there. He wasn’t sure how long he stayed in place, but his mind was blank and groggy. He was trying to think, process, and cope with everything that just transpired in the last few hours, but everything was empty. He wanted to sleep, but he refused to take the chance of missing a call from the hospital. He sat in piercing silence for who-knows-how-long, staring blankly at the horse decal on the steering wheel.</p><p>Sora eventually pulled out his phone and saw a text from Kairi from a few hours prior, reminding him that he needed to call her back. He dialed her number and put it on speaker; he didn’t even have the energy to hold the phone up to his ear. A few rings later, she didn’t pick up. Sora didn’t know what time it was, but assumed it was insanely early since the sun had just risen past the trees.</p><p>The sound of her voicemail came through and he ended the call. He knew she’d call back once she awoke. He contemplated calling Roxas as well, but there was no way his lazy ass was going to be awake this early.</p><p>Sora’s eyes stung every time he blinked, a painful reminder of how desperately he needed rest. He resorted to turning the key in the ignition enough to awaken the stereo to put an end to the silence that might’ve swallowed him whole. Some stupid love ballot softly seeped through the speakers, but Sora barely noticed; it was background noise at this point. Instead, he revisited his mental filing cabinet – thumbed past the ‘KAIRI’ folder and pulled out the one labeled ‘RIKU.’ He studied it meticulously, sifting through the pages that mostly appeared blank. Did he have a family? Why was he afraid of commitment? What the <em>hell</em> did he get into in his past? Was he a pimp? Did he <em>have </em>a pimp?</p><p>‘<em>Mm, Namine…?’</em></p><p>The words echoed in his brain.</p><p>‘<em>Her face was scratched out … and had platinum blonde hair.’</em></p><p>He remembered the photograph on Riku’s bedside table. He choked on air when he pieced it together – ‘Namine’ was the girl who burned Riku, bad. But there was still a large blank space on that particular piece of paper in the file… what did she <em>do</em>?</p><p>Sora tried to make sense of the gibberish Riku was spouting earlier, hoping for some sort of connection, but it was no use.</p><p>His thoughts were abruptly interrupted when his phone began ringing. He didn’t bother to read the caller ID and immediately answered the call. “Sora speaking.”</p><p>“<em>Sora! Is everything alright?” </em>Kairi’s voice rang through the speaker.</p><p>Oh, right. He had called her not too long ago. “Kai! Yeah, everything is… Everything’s fine,” he trailed off, unsure how to explain the situation. He hadn’t thought that part through when he first called her.</p><p>“<em>You sure? You never call this early. And you sound tired.”</em></p><p>Butterflies started to stir in his abdomen, a little too much, until a lump formed in his throat. Sora hated that the sound of her voice still had that effect on him, yet found comfort in the fact that she knew him so well. Maybe that was why it was so hard to let go of her… Kairi was familiar and made him feel at home. “Yeah. Actually no, things aren’t okay. I’m at the hospital,” he stated.</p><p>“<em>You WHAT? Why? Are you okay? What happened?” </em>Kairi spat, genuine concern in her tone.</p><p>“Sorry, <em>I’m</em> not in the hospital. I’m here because Ri-” Sora had to stop himself before spilling the beans and retracted, “- I mean, Roxas was uh… He got stabbed.”</p><p>Sora could hear the gasp on the other line. <em>“Holy shit. How did that happen?”</em></p><p>He bit his lip. “It happened pretty fast. We were out having a good time and all of a sudden he gets into a fight and was suddenly bleeding on the floor.”</p><p>“<em>No wonder you couldn’t answer me,”</em> Kairi commented softly. A brief moment of silence passed before she continued. <em>“Is he going to be okay? Do you need me to come visit? I don’t mind helping.”</em></p><p>“NO!” Sora shouted, louder than he anticipated. “Sorry. It’s been handled, he’s just resting.”</p><p>“<em>Geez, alright. Just wanted to help out. I know you two are close.”</em></p><p>“I know, Kairi. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean-” Sora paused to take a breath and fished his hands through his matted hair. “I appreciate it, really. Thanks, but I’ve got it covered. Right now we both need some rest.”</p><p>“<em>Okay. If you need me, I’m here. I hope you know that.”</em></p><p>“I do. Thanks again,” Sora replied.</p><p>Both parties sat on the phone in silence for a minute or two until Kairi broke it. <em>“You know, somehow I’m not surprised. I always thought Roxas would get stabbed at some point in his life.”</em></p><p>“Oh yeah?”</p><p>“<em>Yeah. Not for any explicit reason, but it just seemed like getting stabbed would be typical Roxas fashion.”</em></p><p>Sora laughed, a much needed relief from the turmoil he had been through. If Roxas really had been the victim of stabbing in this scenario, Kairi would’ve made a fantastic point. Maybe he’d have to prepare for the day when this inevitability occurred. “You’re totally right. And he’ll recover in a day or two and act like he’s a badass for it.”</p><p>The two shared another laugh, breaking the tension from the seriousness of the situation. <em>“</em><em>I’m glad I made you smile, at least. </em><em>It looks good on you</em><em>.”</em></p><p>There it was again, unnecessarily throwing compliments at him. Granted, it felt amazing – like they were a couple again, calling each other whenever drama presented itself and making jokes about it – but it created more conflict within Sora’s emotions that he didn’t know how to handle. “Well, I have to go, the doctor has some questions. Talk to you later.”</p><p>“<em>You promise?”</em></p><p>“Promise.”</p><p>“<em>Alright. Bye, Bear.”</em></p><p>“Bye.”</p><p>The nickname Kairi had for him still rattled in his brain. He could’ve returned the sentiment, called her Kitten, told her he loved her. It was true – he still loved her immensely, that would never change – but <em>she was in a fucking relationship</em>, Sora continued to remind himself.</p><p>He returned to his imaginary filing cabinet, moving from the ‘RIKU’ file to the ‘KAIRI’ one. This folder was significantly thicker, but lately the pages seemed to be more scarce. Her actions confused the brunette to no end, but that tiny glimmer of hope of getting back together was prominent between the pages.</p><p>Before allowing himself to fall too deeply into that particular void, he decided to tuck the mental files away and call Roxas for shits and giggles.</p><p>He fished through his texts until he came to Roxas’s name and tapped on the ‘CALL’ icon. This time he actually regained enough energy to hold the phone up to his ear. He heard the trills of a phone ringing through the speakers, fully expecting him-</p><p>“<em>H’lo.”</em></p><p>-not to pick up. “Roxas?”</p><p>“<em>That’s </em><em>me</em><em>.”</em></p><p>“… I might’ve told Kairi that you got stabbed.” The shock of hearing Roxas actually answer the phone at this hour, combined with his exhaustion, made Sora blurt out information before giving any context.</p><p>“<em>What fuckin’… What?” </em>Obviously Roxas’s brain cells were barely functioning.</p><p>“I’m at the hospital.”</p><p>“<em>Who is this?”</em></p><p>The brunette rolled his eyes. “Sora! It’s Sora!”</p><p>“<em>Fuck, man. No pranks this early, it’s an unfair advantage.”</em></p><p>“Rox, this isn’t a prank. Riku and I were hanging out driving and then we went to a bar and everything was fine until some asshole called us faggots and Riku got mad but I was in the bathroom so I didn’t know what was going on but then I came out of the bathroom and these guys were swinging at him so then we all got into this brawl and-”</p><p>“<em>Sora, slow down. It’s too early for this shit.”</em></p><p>He didn’t realize how quickly he was talking or how much his oxygen had been depleted. He took a breath and finished with “Riku got stabbed and I’m sitting at the hospital.”</p><p>“… <em>So why does Kairi think I’m the one who got stabbed?”</em></p><p>“Fuck, Roxas, <em>that’s</em> your first question?!”</p><p>Sora heard the blonde growl on the other line. <em>“Dude, I </em>told<em> you it’s too early for this. You can’t expect an appropriate reaction from me right now.”</em></p><p>“Riku’s fine. Nice of you to ask.”</p><p>“<em>Ugh… I’m glad your boyfriend is okay. Hopefully the stab wound doesn’t stop you two from romping in the sheets.”</em></p><p>He wasn’t exactly sure if Roxas was cranky or trying to lighten the mood, but either way it was aggravating. His voice lowered to a whisper, “He’s not my boyfriend…”</p><p>Although, the image of ‘romping in the sheets’ with Riku was pretty appealing, despite the circumstance. He forced his mind away from his dirty thoughts relating to his dream.</p><p>There were static sounds coming from the other line that made it sound like Roxas was trying to muffle the microphone and fighting with someone. “…<em> Sora. …. no idea…. something about stabbed… no… give… back… NO!”</em></p><p>All of a sudden the crackling died down and another male’s voice chimed through Sora’s ear.</p><p>“<em>Sora?”</em> Axel’s voice questioned.</p><p>Roxas was in the background, shouting something about Axel being too tall, but Sora ignored his cries. “Hey.”</p><p>“<em>Is everything alright? What the hell happened?”</em></p><p>Finally, the reaction he was expecting. Sora detailed the events of the night to Axel and explained that Riku was currently stabilized, but not yet discharged.</p><p>“<em>That probably won’t be for several hours. We’re coming to pick you up,” </em>Axel commanded – he heard Roxas say “We are?” in the background before the redhead administered a gentle <em>slap</em> followed by a tiny yelp from the blonde – and Axel continued his thought, “<em>Stay right there, okay? I have questions for you.”</em></p><p>“Okay,” Sora responded, chuckling at the imagery of Roxas getting slapped into silence.</p><p>The phone call ended and Sora was forced to endure a few more minutes of sappy love-ballad bullshit from the radio.</p><p>xXx</p><p>The car ride back to the dorms was mostly uneventful, save for Roxas’s obnoxious snoring in the back seat. Sora stared out the window and watched the town whir past in a blur, unable to stop his mind from thinking about Riku in a suggestive manner. Maybe it was the life-threatening aspect that made him seriously contemplate going all the way with him, or maybe it was pure curiosity – he wasn’t sure. Regardless, it was becoming painfully obvious that Sora was attracted to Riku in a way he had never imagined being with another man. Until this point, all his sexual experiences were with Kairi. She was his first and last partner, aside from the oral sex he and Riku exchanged recently. He wondered if he’d be pitching or catching – but judging from Riku’s sexual history, Sora imagined the man probably tried both and would be comfortable with whatever Sora wanted. Part of him was open to being the… <em>bottom…</em> but the remnants of his masculinity created an irrational fear of it.</p><p>“We’re here. I’ll wake up Sleeping Beauty. I need to talk to you though, seriously,” Axel said, a somewhat harsh tone in his statement.</p><p>Sora merely nodded, not sure how to take that.</p><p>The three men tiredly waltzed through the dorm entrance, up the stairs, and eventually made their way to Sora and Roxas’s temporary home. Roxas declared his hunger for some kind of take-out food and went on the hunt for a menu while Axel pulled the brunette into one of the bedrooms.</p><p>“So, really,” Axel started, placing his hands on his scrawny hips and scuffing his boots against the hardwood floor, “why was Riku stabbed?”</p><p>Sora returned the question with a puzzled look. “I told you, he picked a fight with some old-heads that called us faggots.”</p><p>“But you were in the bathroom. You don’t know exactly how it started, right?”</p><p>His heart fell into his rib cage and started pounding against the bones. “What is this about, Lea?” <em>That’s right, I just used your middle name that you hate so much.</em> Anger started to build up in his veins and his eyes squinted into a scowl. Sora was ready to pick another fight, especially after the shit he just went through.</p><p>“Relax, Sora. He’s my friend too, remember?” The red head lifted a finger to his temple. “But I know his history more than you do.”</p><p>That point couldn’t be disputed, and Sora knew it. His anger dissipated and curiosity piqued in its place. “What do you mean?”</p><p>Axel shook his head. “So it’s true. He didn’t tell you about his addiction.”</p><p><em>No, he didn’t tell me much of anything.</em> “He mentioned something about debts from his past, but that’s basically the extent of it.”</p><p>There was a heavy sigh from the tall man. “I wish you weren’t hearing this from me. He should be the one to tell you, but given the circumstances…” his voice trailed off, not needing to finish his sentence since both of them knew Riku’s current incapacitation. “Riku struggled a lot. He still does. Everyone at work keeps a close eye on him because we all know about his… problem.”</p><p>“With drugs?”</p><p>“Yes. More specifically, heroin. He was consumed by the stuff for years, so much that nobody thought he’d actually get clean. But by some miracle, he got clean and had, like, two years I think?”</p><p>Hearing the word ‘heroin’ was a bit of a shock to Sora. Mainly because he lived a sheltered life and never actually encountered anyone who was addicted to it. He’d heard stories, of course, but he never witnessed it first-hand, making this information hard to grasp. “Okay. But that’s his past, right? He’s changed.”</p><p>Axel shrugged. “I dunno. Addiction is a disease that affects you for the rest of your life. It’s a constant struggle. Which is why I need to know… Are you <em>positive</em> this wasn’t a drug deal gone bad?”</p><p>“There’s no way. Riku isn’t like that anymore. He was defending me… defending <em>us</em>. He doesn’t act high around me. I mean, other than weed, but that’s different.” Sora retorted, his pitch rising with each sentence the more he became upset.</p><p>“If you say so, I believe you. But if you see him slipping at all, you <em>need</em> to tell me, or even Terra. We have to help him immediately.”</p><p>In an instant, Sora recalled the behavior Riku exhibited at the Tool concert. The way his pupils were dilated, his slurred speech, and his general presence were all huge red flags waving in the air. For some reason though, Sora adamantly refused to believe Riku was using again and he didn’t think Axel needed to know about a tiny moment he <em>thought</em> he saw. Nothing was confirmed – besides, he hadn’t seen Riku act weird since then.</p><p>“Alright, Sora? Promise?”</p><p>Axel’s voice reminded him that they were in the midst of an important conversation. “I promise,” Sora nodded as his gut wretched, knowing he just blatantly <em>lied</em> to himself and Axel. He told himself, over and over, that if he saw Riku act that way <em>one more time</em>, he’d say something. Somehow that was enough justification.</p><p>Plus, he knew Riku was a changed man. Surely someone in active addiction wouldn’t be teaching some lovesick kid how to enjoy life again.</p><p>Right?</p><p>Before Axel could respond, Roxas burst into the room. “Yo assholes, you want any Chinese?”</p><p>xXx</p><p>Soon after the Chinese was delivered, Axel had to leave to get ready for work. Which is how Roxas and Sora were left on the couch barely-watching some B-Rated horror movie while fighting over who would get the last fried dumpling.</p><p>“Your fat ass ate half the fried rice. Save some for the rest of us,” Roxas teased, using his shoulder to shove Sora out of the way.</p><p>“Oh, as if an extra dumpling would fix your <em>flat</em> ass,” Sora giggled, poking Roxas back with his elbow.</p><p>Roxas gasped. “You take that back.”</p><p>“Make me.”</p><p>Roxas swiped the lone dumpling and tossed it at Sora’s face, causing it to ricochet off his nose and bounce along the tiled flooring. “There, now it’s so dirty neither of us can eat it.”</p><p>Sora glanced at the poor neglected dumpling, now covered in dirt, hair, and who-knows-what-else. “You’re a dick.”</p><p>“Thank you.”</p><p>“Not a compliment.”</p><p>Roxas shrugged, totally unaffected. His attention returned to the television.</p><p>Sora turned his eyes toward the television, but he wasn’t watching at all. Instead, his mind traveled back to the stacks of notes in his mental files. The idea of Riku was hovering in between them, with Kairi sprinkled throughout as well. The letters on the papers were misty and partially-formed, especially in the areas of Riku’s file – with newly added information regarding his past. Sora wondered at them, and wondered about Riku’s nonsensical ramblings while in a daze, a momentary loss of control or possibly a need that couldn’t be expressed in that moment.</p><p>The idea of Riku in general was frightening. It made warmth spread from somewhere in Sora’s chest, to his shoulders, down his arms, and eventually down into his stomach where it settled in a strange mixture of fear and anticipation.</p><p>Sora sighed, pulling a hand from his side to rub his nose where the dumpling had made contact. “So… I have a question.”</p><p>Roxas was somehow invested in the movie and simply responded with a “Hm?”</p><p>“What’s it like to have sex with a man?”</p><p>There were several noises in response, something like choking mixed with snorting and barked laughing. “I imagine it’s like having sex with a girl.”</p><p>“No, seriously,” Sora grumbled, trying to form his thoughts into words the best he could, “Is it… painful?”</p><p>Roxas half-hummed and half-smiled. “It’s still sex. Sweaty, awkward, gross, and not romantic in the slightest bit. And yes, it can be painful.” Roxas’s voice was unsettled from Sora’s abrupt line of questioning. “Which is why you take any precautions you can, if you catch my drift.”</p><p>“Really,” Sora echoed, mouth curving up from slight embarrassment.</p><p>“Don’t be a fucking fairy about it. We’re all adults, here.”</p><p>It was quiet for a few minutes – Sora focused his gaze back to the television, still not paying any attention to the source material, but instead considering the direction in which he and Riku’s relationship was going. Then he considered the same with he and Kairi. If anything, Sora wanted to experience sex with Riku while he had the opportunity – before he rekindled his relationship with Kairi, if that were to ever happen again. He thought about the desire between his and Riku’s actions, the way it felt when Riku’s warmth was pressed against him and how it felt so good when Riku touched his skin. Kissing him used to be the climax of this whole scenario, but had somehow become only the beginning.</p><p>In the middle of his thoughts, his cell phone suddenly rang. Sora jumped at the sudden intrusion, but soon was filled with hope and excitement. “This is Sora!” he sang, more chipper than even he expected. He saw Roxas wrinkle his nose out of the corner of his eyes.</p><p>It was the hospital, calling to inform Sora that Riku had been cleared for discharge and will be waiting in the lobby. Sora thanked the woman on the other line, but it was returned with an aggressive click of the phone ending the call. At this point, he was used to this treatment.</p><p>“I’ve got to go pick Riku up. He’s waiting in the lobby,” Sora announced to Roxas.</p><p>“That’s great dude. Are you asking me to drive you there?”</p><p>Sora boasted, puffing out his chest proudly. “I just need your car, I can drive.”</p><p>The blonde’s jaw dropped. “Wait… You can drive?”</p><p>Sora laughed and stood up from the couch, disappearing into Roxas’s room to claim the keys that were lying on his bedside table. “Let’s go.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>OoOoOoO.... Sora's thinking about sexy time????</p><p>I wonder what that could possibly mean ;)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Tear You Apart</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Holy. HELL.</p><p>Okay, seriously, I'm so sorry about the delay in this chapter. Life got a little crazy for a moment. But I PROMISE YOU, I am not going to abandon this story. No matter how long it may take me to update, I am determined to see this through. </p><p>It was difficult to get back into the groove of things, but once I did, the story flowed. I'm contemplating on how to end things... I had an outline up until now.</p><p>Anyways, shit gets K.I.N.K.Y. in this chapter and I may have gotten a little carried away. But I hope you freaks (like me) enjoy this chapter :)</p><p>As always, I am eternally grateful for everyone who has supported me along the way. You're all beautiful, amazing, and loved. Don't ever forget that!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“So you have <em>one</em> driving lesson while fucked up, and now you’re an expert?”</p><p>Sora snorted at his roommate’s snarky comment. “Rushing your bleeding friend to the hospital does that to you.”</p><p>Roxas’s eyebrows contorted into several knots. “You’re still sticking to that <em>friend</em> title, huh?”</p><p>Sora swallowed what felt like his tongue. The air remained silent for a while until Roxas realized he wasn’t getting an adequate response, so he continued the line of questioning.</p><p>“Are you gonna boink Riku, or what?”</p><p>The question made Sora freeze in place and a shiver run down his arms. He took a moment to recognize how hard his knuckles were gripping the steering wheel. “I… Don’t know.”</p><p>In a typical Roxas fashion, he slapped both hands to his face and dragged them down his skin, tugging his eyes and mouth down with an exasperated groan. “Please, for the love of all that is holy, grow some fucking chest hair.”</p><p>“Hey!” Sora whined, insecurely glancing at his clothed chest. “He just had surgery, I doubt he’ll want to – <em>boink</em>.”</p><p>“Ch-yeah,” Roxas smirked, rolling his eyes, “okay.”</p><p>To Sora’s relief, they arrived to the hospital in the nick of time to end his suffering.</p><p>xXx</p><p> </p><p>The two roommates collected a drowsy Riku from the hospital and allowed him to rest – as much as he could – in the cramped back seat of his Mustang. He was still dazed, but more coherent than he had been when Sora visited him once the surgery had concluded. At least, it seemed that way, since Riku was no longer muttering convoluted sentences about Namine.</p><p>Besides, Sora theorized that it was best to avoid having that conversation right now – especially in front of Roxas.</p><p>Most of the ride was quiet, save for a few painful man-groans coming from Riku in the back. Sora was secretly enjoying the sounds coming from him, despite the context.</p><p>“So Riku,” Roxas inquired, a devilish smile forming on his face while locking his gaze onto the brunette in the driver’s seat.</p><p>Sora shot cold blue eyes in his direction. <em>Don’t you fucking dare. </em>He watched Riku pry one of his eyes open from the rear-view mirror in response, too exhausted to speak.</p><p>“My dear friend here,” Roxas placed his hand on Sora’s shoulder, “is <em>dying</em> to know when you’ll be crushing buns.”</p><p>The brunette immediately slapped his roommate’s hand from his shoulder. “Asshole!” Of course, <em>of course </em>Roxas couldn’t keep his mouth shut. He gave a panicked look into the rear-view mirror to see Riku’s reaction.</p><p>Somehow, he was... <em>smiling</em>. A chuckle escaped from his throat, but was followed by a few gentle coughs before he was able to talk. “Shut the hell up, Roxas,” he groaned, a smile still dancing on his lips.</p><p>The blonde made a pathetic attempt at hiding his prideful grin with his palm against his mouth.</p><p>Meanwhile, Sora wished he could bury his head in the solid concrete of the road they traveled, until Riku spoke again.</p><p>“Does that mean… You’ll be keeping me company tonight, Sora?”</p><p>Roxas’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped to reveal a happy-shocked expression. His eyebrows wiggled at Sora, urging him to accept.</p><p>Sora tried his hardest to suppress the giddiness in his voice when he said “Of course.”</p><p>xXx</p><p>They dropped Riku off at his home, but any self-respecting male who was very likely to have sexual relations with another male for the first time wouldn’t be caught dead without grooming himself first. Hence why Sora told Riku that he had to go home to drop Roxas off and “pack a bag.” Luckily Riku trusted the brunette enough to use his Mustang to drive back to his dorm – especially considering he was out of commission at the moment.</p><p>Sora wasn’t <em>completely</em> lying when he told Riku he had to pack a bag, as that part was true. However, if Riku was under the impression that Sora was well-groomed at all times, it would significantly increase his <em>cool</em> factor and maintain the bartender’s interest in him. Plus, this was the perfect opportunity to manipulate Riku’s sense of time while he was newly out of surgery and he’d <em>never </em>know how long it actually took for Sora to prepare himself.</p><p>Some of this may have been Roxas’s idea, too.</p><p>He didn’t take into consideration, however, that Roxas would be commanding Sora’s every move whilst he was getting ready. <em>Especially</em> in the shower… although in retrospect, he should’ve predicted this would happen.</p><p>“Make sure you shave your nuggets, too,” Roxas’s voice echoed through the bathroom.</p><p>“Can’t you, like…” Sora tousled the shampoo in his hair, “ya’know – <em>leave</em>?”</p><p>“I’m serious,” Roxas continued, blatantly ignoring his request, “it makes your dick look bigger.”</p><p><em>Really? </em>Sora thought to himself, glancing down at his penis, then groaned incoherent nothings as he continued to wash out his hair. He took a good look at his razor that was propped on the ledge of the shower and quietly did as Roxas suggested (which, by the way, was <em>fucking difficult</em>).</p><p>“I’m hoping you know this already, but you should shave your asshole, too,” Roxas blurted, as though this was <em>completely normal fucking conversation</em>.</p><p>“I’M NOT-” Sora stopped himself when he realized he was shouting, and lowered his voice, “… doing that.”</p><p>Roxas let out a hearty laugh. “Don’t tell me you’re going to pussy out, like you didn’t <em>explicitly</em> ask me about having sex with a man this morning.”</p><p>Sora snorted. “Who’s to say I’d be the… <em>bottom?</em>”</p><p>Roxas laughed once again, and at this point Sora believed his roommate was mocking him. “That’s cute, Sor, but let’s be real. You versus Riku? He’s <em>totally</em> the dominant one, and you can’t pretend he’s not.” There was a silent pause before Roxas continued, “Just shave your fucking butthole, okay?”</p><p>The brunette rolled his eyes and took a deep breath. Might as well listen to the guy – he was the expert, after all. He took the razor in his hand once again, feeling intimidated by it for the first time in his life, but he did as he was told – and this part was even <em>more</em> difficult.</p><p>Once he was cleaned and shaved, Sora stuck his head out of the shower curtain to check if the coast was clear, but Roxas. Was. Still. Here. “Can you please go away?”</p><p>Roxas shook his head in dismay. “You act like we don’t live together.”</p><p>Sora scowled and gripped the shower curtain tighter. “Get. OUT.”</p><p>“Damn,” Roxas retorted, “I’m really feeling the love, here.” He continued to shake his head, but reluctantly exited the bathroom.</p><p>Sora was finally able to step out of the shower, wrap the towel around his waist, and give himself a good stare-down in the mirror. His hair was unruly as ever, which he conceded was a lost cause a long time ago. He still helped himself to some of Roxas’s styling gel in a sad attempt to keep his brown hair <em>especially</em> spiky. It was familiar to Riku, and familiarity was good – right?</p><p>Roxas knocked on the door. “Sora, we have a time restraint. Hurry it up.”</p><p>Sora huffed, but knew his roommate was right. He opened the bathroom door and was greeted with a grinning Roxas in the doorframe, presenting an outfit folded in his palms – black skinny jeans, a maroon button-up shirt, and a black leather jacket.</p><p>“Uhm-”</p><p>“Trust me, okay? You’ll look hot,” Roxas explained.</p><p>Considering this had worked before, Sora complied. He dressed himself in his room with the clothes Roxas gave him, still surprised with how well they fit his frame. It was probably for the best, since Sora’s wardrobe mostly consisted of sports shorts and tee shirts or hoodies. He glanced in the mirror, quite enjoying the way the skinny jeans outlined his legs – and abruptly realized that this was the most confident he’d been in himself for a <em>while</em>. Serotonin bounced through his brain like popcorn and his aura simply glowed.</p><p>He swiftly nodded at his reflection in the mirror before he turned around to see Roxas staring. The blonde offered a consenting smile. “You’re so lucky to have me.”</p><p>Sora dismissed the self-compliment shyly as he swept his hand through his spiky hair and smiled.</p><p>“The finishing touches,” Roxas declared. He rummaged through Sora’s closet until he found numerous silver rings and a crown-shaped necklace that had been tucked away for months. “First of all,” he started, clasping the necklace around Sora’s neck, “we need to accentuate your collarbones.” Once that was done, Roxas turned to the rings – a thick silver band, a silver crown-shaped ring, a silver band with a heart shaped logo on the face, and several others – and put them on a few of Sora’s fingers. “These will draw attention to your hands… and these bitches can work some magic.”</p><p>Sora turned back to the mirror and inspected his look – which was classy, yet manly. He rolled the cuffs of the maroon button-up until they rested just below his elbow. The look worked well for him.</p><p>“Well Sora, if I wasn’t already taken, I’d be hitting on you,” Roxas said, patting his roommate on the back while adorning a smile.</p><p>“I appreciate it,” Sora replied, pulling his hands into fists to get used to the feel of rings on his fingers. “Oh, and Rox?”</p><p>“Hm?”</p><p>“This means I’m going to skip class tomorrow.”</p><p>Roxas blinked. “Okay. And?”</p><p>“My excuse will be that my good friend is in the hospital. Kairi thinks you got stabbed-” Sora began, but he didn’t need to finish his thought.</p><p>“You want me to skip tomorrow too?”</p><p>He nodded, trying to pout with pleading puppy dog eyes.</p><p>“Psh, works for me,” Roxas limply flicked his wrist, “Axel and I could use some alone time.”</p><p>xXx</p><p>Sora drove towards Riku’s house by his lonesome. He was lost in thought, trying to distract himself from the possibility that he and Riku could have – <em>sex</em> – tonight. It was overwhelming to think about how quickly this crush was developing, and yet he was expected to bury those feelings in the depths of his heart because he <em>knew</em> Riku wouldn’t commit. He made that clear several times.</p><p>But having Riku in any sense was better than not having him at all. Almost losing him for good was enough to make Sora appreciate the time he did spend with him.</p><p>The Mustang rolled into the driveway and Sora came out of his thoughts. Going to Riku’s house was becoming second nature – even though it had only been a few weeks since they met for the first time.</p><p>Sora noticed another vehicle was parked by the curb. He tilted his head in confusion, but continued towards the door anyway. He rang the doorbell, hoping Riku had enough strength to open the door.</p><p>When the door opened, however, the person standing in front of him was Aqua. “Hey, Sora!”</p><p>“Aqua? What are you doing here?”</p><p>The blue-haired woman stepped aside to let Sora in the house. “Axel told me and Terra what happened… We came over right away. How are you feeling? You look exhausted,” she said sweetly, placing a delicate palm on Sora’s cheek.</p><p>“I’m okay, thanks. I didn’t get much sleep,” he responded with a slight blush. Aqua really was beautiful, inside and out.</p><p>Terra joined them in the living room. Sora looked around to find Riku, but he was nowhere to be found in the vicinity. “What’s up, Sora? I’m glad you’re here,” Terra greeted.</p><p>“Hey Terra. Where’s Riku?”</p><p>“He’s sleeping upstairs. We wanted to keep an eye on him.”</p><p>Sora scratched his head. “Does he need supervision?”</p><p>Aqua and Terra exchanged a concerned look, then Terra placed his hands on his hips as he looked at the ground. He exhaled and coyly looked up to make eye contact with Sora. “Do you know what prescription the doctors gave him?”</p><p><em>This again?</em> Sora thought to himself. “I’m not one hundred percent sure, but I didn’t see him with anything when he was discharged.”</p><p>The couple simultaneously deflated with relief. “Oh good,” Aqua whispered as she placed a hand over her heart.</p><p>Terra pulled out his phone and stepped closer to Sora. “Listen, if <em>anything </em>happens, call me. What’s your number?”</p><p>The two men gave each other their numbers. The seriousness of the situation was looming over Sora’s thoughts; until now, he more or less dismissed the concern in Axel’s voice when they had this conversation earlier. He’d never dealt with an addict before – all of this preparation was foreign to him.</p><p>“I don’t want to scare you Sora,” Terra began, “but I want you to understand how dangerous Riku can be when he’s in active addiction.”</p><p>Sora blinked several times. “O-Okay?”</p><p>“This is coming from someone who saw it first-hand. He’ll lie to you. He’ll steal from you. He’ll isolate himself. He’ll have fierce mood swings, he’ll be impulsive, and he’ll manipulate you.”</p><p>Sora swallowed. Hard. He didn’t want to believe it, but the reality of the situation was frightening.</p><p>“Don’t get me wrong,” Terra continued, placing a hand on Sora’s shoulder, “he’s an <em>awesome</em> person. But he is an entirely different human being when he’s using. Which is why-” he dangled his phone in Sora’s face- “you need to call me or Axel if you see anything… off.”</p><p>He couldn’t speak. This was too much to take in right now.</p><p>“Sora? You get me?”</p><p>After a heavy sigh, Sora nodded. “I got you.”</p><p>“Cool. Riku <em>may</em> have hidden the pills, so keep your eyes peeled.” Terra squeezed briefly before he let go of Sora’s shoulder and offered a reassuring nod.</p><p>“I’m spending the night, so I’ll take care of him,” Sora said with a low tone.</p><p>“Thanks, Sora,” Aqua chimed in.</p><p>The brunette’s phone buzzed in his hand and he glanced at the screen.</p><p>
  <em>Kai:</em>
</p><p>
  <em>6:07PM: Hey, just checkin in. How’s Roxas?</em>
</p><p>Sora figured it was best to let her know that they’d both be out of class tomorrow. Besides, he didn’t want her blowing him up all night if he didn’t answer.</p><p>
  <em>Me:</em>
</p><p>
  <em>6:08PM: He’s recovering fine, mostly sleeping. We’ll both be missing class tomorrow, so don’t worry.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Kai:</em>
</p><p>
  <em>6:08PM: That’s probably best. I’m here if you need me, okay?</em>
</p><p>Sora smiled softly. This version of Kairi was the exact reason why he fell in love with her.</p><p>
  <em>Me:</em>
</p><p>
  <em>6:09PM: Thanks, Kai.</em>
</p><p>She responded with a single red heart emoji and he decided to leave the conversation at that. He stuffed his phone in the pocket of the leather jacket and tugged at the seams to adjust himself.</p><p>He looked towards the balcony and noticed Riku slowly emerging from the dark hallway. He gripped the railing of the balcony for support and gripped his side. He was shirtless, but a large white bandage was noticeably plastered to his right side. Sora’s eyes were hardly focusing on that, though – he was too busy trying to calm the butterflies in his stomach.</p><p>It seemed Riku hadn’t seen Sora yet since he was looking down while he slowly crept down the stairs. He watched every step as to not accidentally slip and fall. “Seriously guys, I don’t need constant supervis-”</p><p>As Riku stepped on the ground floor, he looked up and met the stare of the brunette who was innocently standing in the living room. “Sora…” he said quietly. Riku was <em>drinking</em> in Sora’s appearance, eyes wandering up and down his frame. The corner of his mouth tugged into his signature smirk as he bit his lower lip. Riku had a hungry, delicious, <em>want</em> in his expression.</p><p>“Hey,” Sora waved and flashed a shy smile. The butterflies turned into a zoo in his stomach.</p><p>“Hey.” Riku walked closer to the group, but his eyes never strayed from Sora’s. “You two can leave now. I’m in good hands.”</p><p>Terra and Aqua complied and gathered their belongings to leave. Sora heard Aqua sing “Have fun you two!” before the front door shut tightly. Apparently she <em>totally</em> felt the sexual tension in the air.</p><p>Riku closed the gap between he and Sora to hold him in a tight embrace. “I never properly told you how grateful I am to you. For saving my life earlier, and being here for me now.”</p><p>Sora was pressed against Riku’s firm pecs, which felt nice. He melted in the embrace and the natural scent of cranberries. “A-anytime. I’m glad you’re okay.”</p><p>The sound of Riku’s hum reverberated through his ears. Then he felt Riku shift in the embrace until he was next to Sora’s ear. “And I love you in that outfit,” he growled before pulling away.</p><p><em>Shiver</em>.</p><p>“Wanna smoke?” Riku offered in a casual tone, as though he wasn’t just teasing Sora’s eardrum.</p><p>“Please,” Sora agreed.</p><p>Riku walked to the couch and grabbed a white v-neck tee shirt that was resting on the arm to gradually slip over his torso. Even though he looked good in practically anything he wore, Sora secretly hoped Riku would put on a tighter shirt; although that probably wasn’t the best choice for recovering his injury.</p><p>Sora followed the taller man into the sunroom as usual, where they sat side-by-side on the wicker furniture. Riku sparked the half-smoked joint that had been lying on the table, waiting to be finished. There was a strange feeling of pressure in the air, at least for Sora. Everything Axel and Terra had told him combined with the lingering sexual tension between he and Riku felt like it was swallowing him whole. He was glad to be smoking marijuana, since it would probably help calm his nerves.</p><p>“So how are you feeling?” Sora asked after exhaling the smoke.</p><p>Riku shrugged his shoulders. “Everything is sore, but I’ll be fine.” He took a long drag, then exhaled. “I’m much better now that you’re here,” he added with a small grin.</p><p>Sora raised an eyebrow. “Oh really?”</p><p>“Yes, really. You keep me grounded.” He passed the joint.</p><p>Sora pulled his knees up to his chest, a weird shyness enveloping him. He took a small hit before speaking. “Good. I’m-” He paused for a moment, trying to choose his words carefully as to not sound too cheesy- “I’m glad I met you, Riku.” He offered the joint back to him.</p><p>The bartender grabbed the joint from Sora’s hand and finished it off. “I am too. You’re quickly becoming my…” he trailed off as he looked into Sora’s ocean blue eyes.</p><p>The brunette waited on bated breath for the man to finish his sentence. <em>Your… what?</em></p><p>“My best friend,” he finished, breaking eye contact and propping his elbows on his knees.</p><p>Sora was a bit disappointed, but being best friends with Riku wasn’t necessarily a bad thing either. “With… benefits?”</p><p>Riku chuckled. “If that’s what you want, then I’m down.”</p><p>Sora bit his lip. “I’m not opposed to it.”</p><p>He could’ve sworn he saw a shade of red in Riku’s cheeks, but he stood up before Sora could tell for sure. “You alright with watching a movie?”</p><p>Cuddling in bed with Riku, watching a movie? Hell yes. “Definitely.”</p><p>Riku outstretched his hand for Sora, who took the offer and was pulled off the wicker couch. He was escorted through the living room, up the stairs, into Riku’s bedroom – and it should be noted that their hands didn’t part the whole way.</p><p>Once they were in the bedroom, Sora removed his leather jacket and shoes, then plopped on Riku’s soft bed. Meanwhile, Riku used a small remote to turn on a strip of LED lights that lined the perimeter of the ceiling, which illuminated the room in a deep red hue. Huh.</p><p>“Have you ever seen Jennifer’s Body?” Riku called from across the room, holding a DVD case in his hand.</p><p>“I’ve heard of it, but never saw it,” Sora explained, trying to look at the cover of the case – and seeing a hot girl sitting on a chair with school books in her hand, with what seemed to be blood dripping from her mouth. “… Is it a horror movie?”</p><p>“Apparently. But it’s a lot more tame than most,” Riku tapped the case against his thumb before he pulled the DVD from its case and inserted it into the player. He paused briefly after pushing the play button and turned his head to smirk at the man sitting on his bed. “Are you <em>afraid</em> of horror movies, Sora?”</p><p>Sora internally panicked for a second. He didn’t want to admit that they gave him nightmares for days, since that was <em>so</em> uncool. “Nah,” he waved a dismissive hand in the air.</p><p>Riku chuckled and whispered an ‘okay’ to himself. Sora sucked at lying.</p><p>Once the movie began playing, Riku settled himself into the bed next to Sora. Despite his recent surgery, he was able to maneuver impressively well. Next to his bed was a small nightstand with several drawers, where Riku reached into the top drawer and pulled out a bag of chips, Twizzlers, and Reese’s Pieces. He tossed them onto the bed and said “I’m always prepared. Help yourself.”</p><p>“Damn, you’re good,” Sora smiled and reached for the Reese’s, while Riku helped himself to the chips. The weed was making his stomach crave sweets more than usual – and apparently, Riku preferred salty snacks.</p><p>To Sora’s surprise, he was actually quite invested in the movie. And somehow, he wasn’t distracted by Riku’s presence a mere few inches away from him. So much so that he didn’t realize that Riku was stealing glances at him every few minutes.</p><p>After a while, a scene started playing where the two female best friends shared a high-tension sexual experience. The scene started off slow, but eventually they began removing their shirts.</p><p>Sora felt Riku adjusting on the bed and gave him a puzzled look. Riku sighed heavily, placing his hand on his inner thigh and tugging at his jeans. Sora thought he was in pain and was trying to lay comfortably, so he didn’t pay much attention to the behavior.</p><p>A few more seconds passed until Riku groaned and said “Fuck it.”</p><p>In the blink of an eye, Riku had pulled himself on top of Sora, using his muscular arms to suspend himself above the brunette. Sora stared into emerald green eyes and stopped breathing. “Uh, hello.”</p><p>“Do you know-” Riku’s voice was low and dark, “-what you’ve done-” he lowered his head until he was inches away from Sora’s ear, “-by wearing this?” His left hand traveled to the necklace that Sora wore as he hooked a finger underneath the chain and tugged.</p><p>Sora was pleasantly surprised by the sudden turn of events. Once his shock subsided, he came to his senses and felt an overwhelming desire to play along. “That was the point,” he smiled into Riku’s neck.</p><p>Riku steadied himself to hover above Sora’s frame once again. He was <em>centimeters</em> away from his face now. “I hope you know what you’re asking of me.”</p><p>Sora bit his lip. “I’m well aware.”</p><p>Riku slid his palm around the brunette’s neck, using his thumb and forefinger to support the jaw in his grip. “Last chance. Are you sure?”</p><p><em>Holy fucking fuck, keep doing that.</em> “… Please.”</p><p>Riku ran his tongue against his teeth. “Very well.”</p><p>Their lips collided, more hungry and aggressive than all the other kisses they shared until this point. Riku kept his strong hand around Sora’s neck, keeping control of his every move. Sora hadn’t experienced anything like this before, and it was exciting. The dark, curious part of his mind wondered what else Riku was capable of.</p><p>As their tongues danced, Sora could taste a mixture of mint, chocolate, weed, and chips. He laid there as Riku took control of the kiss, enjoying every second of it. He felt Riku unleash his neck, his fingertips gently gliding down his shirt, expertly undoing each button with a single hand the lower he traveled, never breaking the kiss. Sora brought both hands up to tangle themselves in Riku’s hair, softly gripping the roots.</p><p>Once all the buttons were undone, Riku slipped his hand along the small torso beneath him and caressed the warm skin that was trapped between the fabric. “I wanna see you naked,” he commanded, pulling the shirt away from the small frame beneath him. Sora complied, lifting his body up enough to shrug the sleeves off his shoulders. Riku continued, “I wanna <em>feel</em> you naked…”</p><p>The silver-haired man pulled his own shirt off, exposing the large white bandage and the two dermals implanted in the other side of his abdomen, glistening red in the lighting. He lowered his body onto Sora’s, the feel of warm skin on his own sending a shiver down his spine.</p><p>The bulge in Sora’s pants was quickly becoming tighter each second that passed. It didn’t help that Riku had now brought his knee to Sora’s groin, applying just enough pressure to make his body pulse in desire. They continued the kiss, hands exploring each other’s bodies and acclimating one another to every groove of each muscle.</p><p>Riku was the first to move his hand down to the growing length in Sora’s jeans. The tightness of the skinny jeans made the feeling harder to bear as Riku massaged the fabric, being sure to continue the kiss as he did so. Sora felt himself jerking his hips into the pressure, begging to be released.</p><p>“Hm,” Riku growled. “You want more?”</p><p>Sora nodded, unable to find his voice.</p><p>“I’ll be nice.” Riku found the button of Sora’s jeans and expertly unfastened it with a single motion. He gradually pulled the zipper down, biting his lip as he looked into Sora’s eyes, desperately wanting more. He pulled apart the gap that was recently created and gripped Sora’s member that was still trapped in his underwear. The poor thing was throbbing, but Riku thrived from this feeling.</p><p>Sora closed his eyes and put a hand over his mouth to stifle a moan. His entire lower region tightened in pleasure as Riku stroked him through his boxers. Whatever the hell he was doing with his fingers was <em>incredible.</em></p><p>Riku grabbed Sora’s free hand and placed it on his own crotch, which was also growing hungrily. Sora already knew how big Riku’s dick was, but for some reason it felt more intimidating this time. Regardless, he continued to feel around the jeans that confined Riku’s member.</p><p>Riku collapsed next to Sora’s body to undo his jeans and pull them off. His own Calvin Klein boxers stayed on his hips as he clawed at Sora’s jeans and helped peel them from his legs. Once they were removed, Sora took the opportunity to climb onto Riku’s frame and resume the kissing. Riku placed his hands on Sora’s hips, softly digging into the flesh that formed his ass. He gently guided Sora’s hips to roll into his own, their respective manhood rubbing against one another through cloth boxers. Both men’s breathing started to hitch as they continued to grind, greedy hands exploring each other’s skin as a few deep moans escaped their throats.</p><p>Ravenous fingers gripped into Sora’s boxers and dragged the thin fabric off his hips, exposing his rock-hard penis, to which Sora did not oppose. “Mmm,” Riku moaned as he broke the kiss and pulled the brunette’s hips closer to his mouth. Sora used the wall to support his weight as Riku took his girth into his hand, then steadily wrapped his lips around the tip that was dripping with pre-cum.</p><p>“O-Oh my god,” Sora breathed. He’d experienced a blowjob from Riku before, but <em>holy fuck</em> it was so goddamn good, he’d never tire of this feeling. He felt the beautiful tongue lapping against his shaft, knowing exactly which pressure points to hit. Sora’s back muscles were twitching with pleasure and exhaustion from holding himself against the wall.</p><p>As quickly as it started, Riku removed his mouth from Sora’s member with a <em>pop</em> and a string of saliva trailing from the tip. He looked up to glimpse at the brunette that was reeling above him before he smirked, wrapped his arms around the small waist, and flipped him onto the bed so that Riku was now on top. His strength and ability to do so was impressive as all hell.</p><p>Riku closed the distance with another brief kiss as he pushed his pelvis against the brunette’s exposed cock. “Are you going to take me?”</p><p>In any other situation, Sora would’ve second-guessed everything that was happening. But Riku was here, on top of him, and fucking <em>horny</em>. His mind flashed to he and Roxas’s conversation earlier where he ever-so gracefully called him out for being a bottom.</p><p>And in this moment, Sora was fully committed and embraced it. “You have me, Riku,” he whispered.</p><p>No further consent was needed. Riku removed his boxers desperately and tossed them to the floor. He reached into the second drawer and retrieved a small bottle of Pina Colada flavored warming lube. Riku squirted a thick coat of it along his length and rubbed it around his entire cock. “You’ve never done this before, right?”</p><p>Sora’s chest was rising and falling quickly, but found the strength to shake his head in response. Nervousness didn’t let him speak.</p><p>“Well then,” Riku replied, licking his middle and ring finger, “I’ll have to stretch it out.”</p><p>Two wet fingers rubbed against Sora’s anus, causing him to instinctively tighten the muscles. Riku gently circled around the tight area, letting his partner relax. Once accomplished, Riku pushed a finger into the hole. Sora grabbed the free hand that was placed next to his hip to prepare himself for the next steps. Riku tantalizingly inserted his finger deeper until he heard a tiny whimper from Sora. Enjoying the sound, he allowed the second finger to enter and watched as Sora clenched his teeth.</p><p>“So smooth,” Riku murmured. The brunette smiled and silently thanked Roxas, but promised to <em>never</em> actually tell him that.</p><p>The bartender moved his fingers in a gentle, soothing motion until Sora became comfortable enough with the feeling to relax. He felt the fingers spread slightly inside him more, which made Sora seethe through his teeth.</p><p>Riku removed his fingers and grabbed his member, preparing for entry by steadying his tip. He pushed against Sora’s asshole, the squishy flesh giving way to allow penetration. He let out a deep moan from how tightly Sora gripped him.</p><p>“<em>Fuck,</em> you feel so good.” Riku exhaled, pausing for a moment to compose himself. He looked at Sora, whose eyes were closed and was breathing heavily. “That’s my good fucking boy,” he coaxed.</p><p>Sora grasped the hand he was holding even harder to relieve some of the pain. Riku intertwined his fingers with Sora’s and allowed him to grab as tight as he needed to.</p><p>Riku rested his forehead on Sora’s as he pushed a little deeper. They were both beginning to sweat, but Riku wasn’t even close to being done with him. He ignored Sora’s whimpers as he continued to push until his entire length was inside. He paused for a moment, letting Sora relax while he gained control of himself to avoid cumming already.</p><p>At this point, Riku could hardly control his impulses. He pulled his hips away slightly until his dick was halfway removed, but quickly rammed back into Sora – this rewarded him with a mewl from the brunette that encouraged him to continue. Riku continued this rhythm; slowly pulling out, then forcefully penetrating all the way.</p><p>Sora put his free hand over his mouth to stifle the sounds coming from his throat. Riku lowered himself closer to the writhing man beneath him and snaked his fingers in messy brown hair. He pumped a few more times while tugging at the roots and letting the brunette squeeze his other hand. Riku turned his face to Sora’s neck and began sucking on the skin, making Sora arch his back in an explosion of pleasure.</p><p>The pumping and suckling continued until a small bruise formed on Sora’s neck, where Riku placed a small ‘sorry’ kiss on the skin. Sora was still trying to stifle his moans – which Riku would’ve preferred to hear in all their glory, but allowed it for now – and yet, he had wrapped both arms around Riku’s body and started digging his nails into his back. Sora was in a world he’d never experienced before; the pain had subsided and he was now experiencing immeasurable pleasure.</p><p>He was right there – <em>right fucking there</em> – and his heart felt like it was going to explode out of its chest. He suddenly felt Riku pull out completely.</p><p>Sora opened his eyes, confused. Riku was giving him a devilish smirk, his cock twitching inches away from Sora’s opening.</p><p>“Look me in my eyes,” Riku commanded. The brunette obliged, staring at the man above him, adorned in a red hue.</p><p>The taller man put a rough palm around Sora’s neck once again and repeated, “Come on, look at me.”</p><p>Sora didn’t have a choice but to look deeply into the greenish-red eyes that were hovering above him. He could see in Riku’s pupils that he was on the verge of climax as well, but it didn’t stop him from demanding to have this deep intimacy.</p><p>“Beg me for more,” Riku groaned.</p><p>Sora clawed at the man’s hips in a desperate attempt to make him keep going, but Riku grabbed his hand and pinned it against the bed. “I don’t think you understand.” He lingered his lips against Sora’s jaw and nipped at the spot. “You are <em>going</em> to <em>beg</em> me for more,” he whispered before locking eyes with the brunette once again.</p><p><em>Holy… fuck. </em>Riku was truly a dominant. And somehow, that made him even more irresistible. “Please, Riku.” Sora whimpered.</p><p>The bartender tilted his head. Clearly that wasn’t good enough.</p><p>Sora knew this was the time to awaken the sexual beast inside of him. “… I-I <em>need</em> you inside me. Please, I want you to feel how badly I want this.”</p><p>Riku bit his lip, somewhat satisfied. He entered Sora once again, but didn’t go deeper. “Continue.”</p><p>“Please don’t stop...”</p><p>A little deeper.</p><p>“Keep going, Riku.”</p><p>… And deeper.</p><p>“I want to feel you.”</p><p>All the way, now.</p><p>“Don’t. Fucking. Stop.”</p><p>Riku pushed in and out, back to the rhythm he had previously, with Sora grinding his hips in tandem with his movements. The two were sweating, panting, pushing-</p><p>Until they both exploded at the same time – with Riku’s release pulsing entirely inside Sora, and Sora’s release coating his lower abdomen. Both men moaned heavily as relief washed over them.</p><p>Riku collapsed next to the brunette and smiled. “Good fucking job, Sora.”</p><p>In between breaths, Sora responded with “You too.”</p><p>Riku reached on the floor for a random article of clothing and offered it to the brunette next to him. “Here, use this. I have to wash it anyway.”</p><p>Sora took the – boxers? – and cleaned the mess on his stomach. He tossed them to the floor before he tucked himself under the covers. Riku followed suit and wrapped his arm around Sora’s small frame. The feeling of warmth and cuddling was so comforting to Sora that he didn’t even realize the music of the DVD’s home menu on repeat, or that the red LED lights were still on, or that he and Riku were still naked – and exhaustion quickly overtook him. He melted into the bed with a smile on his face.</p><p>xXx</p><p>The feeling of sharp stabbing on his right side caused him to wake up in a panic. He glanced around the room to ground himself – Sora was sleeping soundly beside him, the home menu of <em>Jennifer’s Body</em> was playing, and red lights were illuminating the room. He was drenched in sweat and panting; the medication was apparently wearing off.</p><p>He shifted in the bed as slowly as he could as to not disturb Sora. He placed his feet on the carpet, glancing back at the sleeping man to appreciate how peaceful he looked in that moment. He looked at the clock and saw “3:00AM” glaring at him.</p><p>Riku forced himself to stand, wincing in pain, then grabbed a pair of clean boxers out of his dresser. He turned the LED lights off as well as the television before he quietly tip-toed out of the bedroom and made his way to the bathroom down the hall. He turned the light on so he could properly search for his medication.</p><p>Underneath the sink cabinet, buried behind a bunch of hygiene products, he found the bottle of Percocet that he’d been prescribed from the hospital. He peered down the hallway to make sure Sora didn’t suddenly wake up and look for him – once he assured himself that the coast was clear, he closed the bathroom door and dumped three pills from the bottle onto the counter.</p><p>He knew – he fucking <em>knew</em> – snorting them would only trigger past habits… but he craved it. The Dilaudid in the hospital awakened the demons that he’d fought off for two years.</p><p>And yet, somehow Riku justified it by using his pain as an excuse.</p><p>He used the bottom of the orange prescription bottle to crush the pills into a fine powder and separated them into three lines – one for each pill. <em>It’s not heroin…</em> He repeatedly told himself.</p><p>He snorted a line, one by one, pausing between each one to gauge his high. He refused to overdose again, especially with poor, innocent Sora sleeping in his home. He hoped to never subject the brunette to something as traumatizing as finding a friend overdosed in the bathroom.</p><p>After the third line, his body felt light and free, his pain subsided, and his thoughts turned blank. He sat on top of the toilet seat while he stared into the void for an unknown amount of time.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Rikuuuu... :'(</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. The Last of the Real Ones</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This chapter is FINALLY DONE, thank god. Talk about writer's block, holy shit. I re-wrote this chapter so many times, I lost count. I finally steered it in a good direction that's worthy of posting. My outline for this chapter was so shitty that I couldn't figure out what to do with it. In the end, I'm glad I changed it into what it became.</p><p>I originally had plans to post this around the one year anniversary of starting this fic (MARCH 9TH, WOW). So happy late anniversary to this story!</p><p>Anyways, thank you all for your patience with me. You're all appreciated more than you know. Everyone stay safe, be well, and love yourself :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sunlight dripped through the curtains, making Sora pry his eyes open to reveal the hardwood floor of Riku’s bedroom. He blinked a few times before his vision focused enough for him to sit up without feeling dizzy. Immediately, he felt a pain in his bum and clenched his muscles, recalling the memories he made with Riku last night.</p><p>He looked beside him in the bed and saw it was empty – a little disappointing, as he would’ve preferred to wake up next to Riku, but he rubbed his eyes and retrieved his boxers on the floor. He also found Roxas’s button-up maroon shirt that had been discarded on the floor and pulled it over his shoulders, fastening the buttons to hide his insecurities over his chest.</p><p>Sora commanded his feet to start moving towards the bathroom, where he knew a toothbrush had been saved for him in the cabinet – his breath was once again, rank as hell, and he wanted to rid the taste of shit from his mouth as soon as possible. He turned on the faucet and wet the bristles briefly before leaning towards his reflection and placing his palm on the porcelain sink – where he felt a powdery, grainy substance settling into his skin.</p><p>He stopped brushing and spit toothpaste into the sink before he tried to smell the powder, but there was no scent. He stared at his palm with a puzzled expression, then lapped his tongue against his hand to try identifying the substance – immediately, his taste buds detected a bitter, metallic taste that made him cringe and spit once more. His automatic reaction was to shake his head vigorously to rid the sting from his mouth. Sora produced more saliva than normal to dispel into the sink, but his tongue was starting to go numb. His mind created a flashback of when Axel and Terra warned him about Riku’s habit, but his naivete about drugs in general caused him to craft multiple theories about what the substance was – basically justifying to himself that it absolutely was <em>not</em>an opiate.</p><p>He went through the motions of brushing one’s teeth with his reflection staring back at him as his brain went into overdrive – or maybe it shut down completely – he couldn’t tell the difference anymore.</p><p>The pleasant aroma of coffee seeped into his nostrils and his tense shoulders deflated, allowing himself to spit the remainder of toothpaste in the sink.</p><p>After cleaning up after his small mess, Sora trotted to the balcony area to confirm the source of the scent – Riku was in the kitchen, towel hugging his hips and black slippers on his feet, making coffee for them. Sora stole a glance of Riku’s back muscles from this angle – he tilted his head and his lips curled into a smile, giving himself credit for somehow being interesting enough to gain <em>this man’s</em> attention.</p><p>Sora pushed himself off the balcony and made his way down the stairs. Riku still had his back turned, but must’ve heard Sora coming down the stairs because he muttered a soft ‘good morning’ to the brunette as he approached.</p><p>“Good morning,” Sora replied, all negative thoughts disappearing from his frame of mind. “You made coffee?”</p><p>Riku finally turned to face Sora and smirked, eyes gleaming from the morning sunlight. “I was starting to make breakfast too, for when you woke up,” he reached for a skillet in one of the cabinets, “but evidently, my plan didn’t work out that way.”</p><p>Sora noticed the time on the digital clock which read 12:00PM. He’d apparently slept longer than expected, but wasn’t opposed to home-cooked breakfast no matter the time of day. College life forced him to accept Ramen noodles as his main form of sustenance. “I don’t mind waiting.” He walked to the coffee pot and poured himself a cup. “And thank you for the thought, it’s cute.”</p><p>Riku scoffed. “I’m not cute.” He walked to the refrigerator to retrieve a few eggs, and in doing so, noticed Sora was wearing the same clothes from last night. “You didn’t change?”</p><p>Sora helped himself to a seat on a stool by the island in the middle of the room. “I don’t have spare clothes.”</p><p>“… I thought you went home to ‘pack a bag’ yesterday?”</p><p>Sora’s eyes widened, horrified. He forgot about his master plan... and within seconds, the facade was ruined. “Um… Fuck.”</p><p>Riku laughed. “Now <em>that’s</em> cute.”</p><p>Sora buried his head in his hands, hoping to fade away from existence.</p><p>“I’m flattered that you wanted to look good for me. Really,” Riku leaned onto the island counter and patted Sora’s spiky hair. The brunette peered through his hands to make timid eye contact. “And don’t feel bad about borrowing my clothes. I lost count of how many I’ve loaned.”</p><p>That last sentence stung more than it should’ve, but Sora tried to hide it the best he could. “I appreciate it.”</p><p>Riku offered a subtle wink before he turned on his heel and went back to cooking.</p><p>Sora remained seated, sipping at his coffee while he studied the man in front of him. Watched as he elegantly flicked his wrist to toss the ingredients in the pan, arm muscles flexing as he did. Aside from the definition of his muscles, Sora couldn’t stop focusing on the large white bandage on Riku’s side, which had a slight tinge of red where the knife penetrated his skin. It was amazing how effortlessly the man maneuvered despite having a wound of that caliber.</p><p>“How are you feeling?” Sora blurted.</p><p>Riku shrugged his shoulders. “Sore, but I’ll survive. How are <em>you</em> feeling?” he asked, looking over his shoulder with a taunting grin.</p><p>“Sore,” he chuckled, “but I’ll survive.”</p><p>“Perfect.” Riku pulled a couple plates from the cabinet and divvied up equal portions of potatoes, eggs, and bacon onto each plate before presenting the dish in front of Sora. The scents that traveled to his nose made Sora involuntarily salivate. Riku waltzed around the island to take a seat next to the brunette, offering utensils in his hand.</p><p>Sora wasted no time in tasting each part of the breakfast, his taste buds exploding from the myriad of flavors in every bite. “Okay, seriously. Is there anything you <em>can’t</em> do?”</p><p>“I guess that means you like it?”</p><p>Sora rolled his eyes in disbelief, unable to comprehend how Riku could be excellent at literally everything – and quite honestly, a little jealous in comparison to his own ineptitude. “Duh.”</p><p>“I guess being alone for years really honed my cooking skills,” Riku stated, stuffing the smallest piece of potato into his mouth. “Don’t you have class today?”</p><p>Sora shook his head. “I’ve got it covered.”</p><p>Riku didn’t respond, idly poking his food with a fork. The two sat in silence for a bit while Sora devoured everything on his plate. Riku would occasionally bring a tiny piece of potato to his mouth and chew for several seconds, then go back to poking at his food. Once Sora finished his plate and sat back in his chair, patting his satisfied stomach, Riku stood up to put the empty dish into the sink.</p><p>Sora looked at the almost-full plate Riku left. “You’re not hungry?”</p><p>Riku simply shrugged his shoulders. “You can have the rest of mine, if you want.”</p><p>Sora refused to let a perfectly good breakfast go to waste and nudged the plate to sit directly in front of him. He finished off the remainder until everything was gone, feeling bloated from eating too much too fast.</p><p>Once again, Riku picked up the empty dish and placed it into the sink. Apparently he didn’t like having empty plates littered around his kitchen. Sora internally confirmed that Riku was a bit obsessive-compulsive. After cleaning up the mess, he stood in place while drumming his fingers on the counter, deep in thought.</p><p>Sora stared for a minute or two before asking, “You okay?”</p><p>Riku snapped back to reality and turned to face the brunette. “Yeah. You up for some video games?”</p><p>Sora’s eyes shone brightly. “Hell yes! I’m going to kick your ass at <em>something</em>, I swear.”</p><p>Riku closed the distance between them, cupping the brunette’s chin with his forefinger and forcing eye contact with a little tug. “Is that right?”</p><p>Staring into those green eyes, Sora couldn’t help himself from clenching his teeth. Riku smelled like fresh soap and cranberries. His thumb traced Sora’s bottom lip while he offered his tantalizing smirk. Sora nodded slowly in response.</p><p>“You wanna bet?” Riku’s tone was dark and calculating, pulling Sora’s lip enough to expose the bottom row of his teeth.</p><p>Sora forced his brain to stop screaming <em>calmdowncalmdowncalmdown</em> and composed himself before replying, “If that’s what it takes.”</p><p>Riku removed his hand and cocked his head slightly. “You get pretty competitive with me. Why is that?”</p><p>Sora paused briefly to process the question. “I dunno. Is that a problem?”</p><p>“Nah,” the taller man shook his head as his lips curled into a devilish taunt, “I like a challenge.”</p><p>Sora gulped.</p><p>“So, winner picks dinner and loser pays?”</p><p>“Sure,” Sora confirmed with a nod.</p><p>“I’m going to change into actual clothes. You can start setting up the TV if you want,” Riku stated with the most casual tone as though he didn’t just create massive sexual tension in the room. He walked upstairs before Sora could respond.</p><p>He shrugged to himself and went to set up the gaming system. Everything was self-explanatory to a twenty-something year old who’s played his fair share of video games. He finished plugging in the console and correcting the input on the TV, then waited on the couch for Riku to return back downstairs. He waited patiently for several minutes.</p><p>And waited.</p><p>… And waited.</p><p>Curiosity (and a tinge of fear) caused Sora to walk up the stairs to check on Riku. He tip-toed upstairs like a little boy on Christmas Eve until he came across Riku’s bedroom door wide open. He peered inside, but found nobody inside. He changed his focus to the bathroom at the end of the hall; his breathing hitched when he saw the door closed and the yellowish light glowing through the cracks. Sora quickened his pace and anxiously knocked on the door.</p><p>“Riku?”</p><p>No answer.</p><p>Sora repeated himself, knocking on the door and jiggling the handle at the same time, but the door was locked. “Riku!” Sora practically yelled while he pounded on the door.</p><p>“One second,” Riku finally responded, his voice less powerful than usual.</p><p>Sora felt his heart start beating again and leaned his forehead against the door in relief. “Thank you,” he breathed to no one but himself.</p><p>He heard a click of the lock and hopped away inconspicuously before the taller man emerged, the door no longer separating them. He was indeed dressed, albeit poorly (for Riku’s standards – a baggy hoodie and tattered jeans), but dressed nonetheless. But his expression looked... <em>exhausted</em>; Sora had no other description for it.</p><p>“Everything okay?” Riku asked flatly. The brightness of his eyes turned dull and lifeless.</p><p>Sora felt uncomfortable. “Riku… Are <em>you</em> okay?”</p><p>He scoffed and lazily flicked his hand in a dismissive manner. “You worry too much.” He casually walked past Sora to make his way down the stairs. He blinked a few times, then followed closely behind.</p><p>As if nothing had happened, Riku plopped onto the couch and grabbed a controller to begin the game. Sora cautiously sat down as well, gnawing on a fingernail trying to make sense of these emotional roller coasters. But more importantly, he wasn’t sure if he could keep up with the constant stress. And yet, something about the turbulence was intoxicating. Was Riku right about worrying too much, or was his anxiety justified?</p><p>“Soraaaaaaaa,” Riku dragged out the last syllable, waving his palm in the brunette’s face, “Earth to Sora.”</p><p>“My bad,” he responded, reaching for the controller.</p><p>Riku blew air from his nostrils. “Sky-boy,” he teased with a roll of his heavily lidded eyes.</p><p>Despite his terror from minutes prior, Sora couldn’t help but smile at the nickname. It was cute. “I like that.”</p><p>“Good.”</p><p>The two finally began playing the game – <em>Super Smash Bros</em> – and quickly became enveloped in their competitiveness. The sounds of button mashing and frustrated cursing from each man echoed in the room.</p><p>“Asshole.”</p><p>“Fairy.”</p><p>The playful insults continued throughout their gaming session. From lip-biting, to teeth clenching, to frustrated groans – this was the first time the two were simply being <em>boys</em> together. In the midst of all the insanity within their relationship thus far, spending the time to be nothing but friends was refreshing.</p><p>After a few hours, they agreed to one final match to determine the winner. At this point, they were tied 10-10. Riku pushed the ‘A’ button to start the match and they both scooted on the edge of the couch to focus. But Sora quickly realized that Riku’s moves were lackluster, especially compared to how he played the game up until now.</p><p>“What are you doing?” Sora questioned, focus never shifting from the screen as his character punched the daylights out of Riku’s character.</p><p>“Playing the game,” Riku replied, eyes still tethered to the screen. “Guess you got better.”</p><p>Sora landed one final blow to Riku’s character as it flew off the screen and exploded. Sora was pretty sure Riku could’ve recovered from the attack, but for some reason he didn’t. He turned to give a puzzled look to Riku, who offered a shrug in response.</p><p>“Looks like dinner’s on me,” Riku stated matter-of-factually.</p><p>Sora’s jaw dropped. “You did that on purpose!” He lunged forward to climb on top of Riku and started lightly punching his arm.</p><p>Riku laughed as he tried to fend off the small brunette attacking him, but the pain from his wound quickly caught up with him and he winced. Sora stopped himself and said nothing, but his puppy-dog eyes and remorseful expression spoke for him.</p><p>“I’m fine, Sora. You’re worrying again,” Riku said, groaning as he righted his position on the couch. He stared at the frozen brunette and grinned. “Pick a good dinner option for us.”</p><p>xXx</p><p>The place was called <em>The Smokin’ Grill</em> and neither Sora nor Riku had set foot in the restaurant prior to this day. Trying someplace new had been a factor in Sora’s choice, but the decision was made final when, during his investigation, he noticed this place was cheap. No matter how many times Riku urged Sora to pick an upscale restaurant, he couldn’t bring himself to allow Riku to pay that much for a damn dinner.</p><p>The motif in the building was reminiscent of a ‘Wild West’ theme with portraits of cowboys on the walls, cabin-like décor, and a large fire pit in the middle of the dining room – tables and booths were sprinkled around the perimeter; a couple patrons sat in their seats with piles of ribs, burgers, and/or sides of potato salad with mac-and-cheese. The smell of barbecue permeated throughout the room once they entered.</p><p>The two were seated by the host to a booth; they settled in the seats opposite each other and grabbed the menus that were resting in the condiment rack. They ordered drinks – Jameson on the rocks for Riku, a glass of Riesling for Sora – and continued perusing the menu. They sat in comfortable silence for a minute while making their decisions.</p><p>Riku chose first, signaling his completion by slapping the menu shut. “So.” He propped his elbow on the table and cupped his chin with an open palm. “Tell me about yourself.”</p><p>“Huh?” Sora looked up from his menu.</p><p>“I was thinking,” Riku said as he brushed his fingers through his hairline, “I don’t know your story.”</p><p>Sora furrowed his brow. Something about being with Riku felt so comfortable, so <em>natural</em> that he hadn’t realized how little they really knew about each other. “Well. I don’t know yours either.”</p><p>Riku shrugged. “I’ll be honest. I hardly care about anyone’s history. We all have our war stories, our secrets, our childhood trauma. I usually don’t want to hear it. But for some reason… you intrigue me.” His tongue played and twirled his lip ring.</p><p>Sora had completely lost interest in the menu at this point. His thoughts and breaths kicked into overdrive, but he couldn’t speak.</p><p>In response to Sora’s silence, Riku continued. “Something tells me you’re different, and I’m genuinely interested. Either as my friend, or fuck buddies, or whatever. I just want to know you.”</p><p>Sora was frozen for a second, but the waitress came around to take their orders and broke the awkward pause. Sora simply parroted whatever Riku ordered since he never finished reading the menu. Once the waitress walked away, he continued the conversation. “So, what <em>about</em> me do you want to know?”</p><p>Riku shrugged once again. “Let’s start with your parents.”</p><p>“Well,” Sora began, sipping from his wine glass to prepare his vocal chords to speak for a while. “My mom raised me alone for as long as I can remember. I’m not entirely sure who my father is.” He’d told the story so many times, it hardly bothered him anymore. He noticed Riku’s eyes widen slightly from amusement, giving Sora the validation to continue talking about it. He spoke about his mother – tired, blue eyes and jet black hair – being a brilliant prosecutor, but working so much that precious time between the two was rare. About how she buried herself in work to avoid falling in love again. About the stories she told about Sora’s father through her eyes before he left – about her lack of closure, her moments of depression, and her moments of strength. Sora appreciated the woman and all she’s accomplished, despite having limited time spent as mother and son. “I miss her, more than I thought I would.” Sora stopped after that last sentence, allowing Riku to process the information he’d just dumped onto the dinner table. “What about your parents?” He asked slowly and carefully.</p><p>Riku retracted from his attentive position, slouching in the booth and folding his arms. “Sora, this isn’t about me.”</p><p>“But it’s only fair. I want to know you too.”</p><p>Riku stared deeply at the man across from him, stone-cold eyes and expressionless face. The corner of his mouth tugged into a smirk as he nervously tongued his lip ring. Sora didn’t break eye contact.</p><p>“Fine,” Riku conceded, exhaling a deep breath that he’d apparently been holding. “I haven’t seen my parents since high school. They didn’t approve of… me. My looks, my actions, my outlook. So I’ve been fending for myself since sixteen.”</p><p>“Oh.” Sora felt his heart sink for Riku, but couldn’t find the appropriate words to speak.</p><p>“I’ll put it this way – I’ve never heard anyone tell me they’re proud of me. Hopefully that sums it up for you,” Riku stated, avoiding eye contact. “Where did you grow up, then?” he asked before Sora could respond to his previous statement.</p><p>Even though it wasn’t a lot, Riku had just opened up to Sora in a way he’d never done before, which was still considered a win for the brunette. He somehow found success in extracting some information from the taller man, and that little extra gave him the motivation to keep talking. “My mom’s practice got a lot of traction in California by the time I was four or five. I was a really shy kid, so it took a while for me to make friends… but eventually, I met this kid named Titus – he kinda reminds me of Roxas, in a lot of ways – and he showed me a bunch of secret places around our town. For my eighth birthday, Titus brought me to this little island off the coast, where a bunch of other kids our age hung out. That same day, I met Kairi for the first time.”</p><p>“Ah, Kairi.” Riku commented.</p><p>“Yep,” Sora continued, disregarding the contempt in Riku’s voice, “The sun was setting, her smile was bright, and her skin was sparkling. I couldn’t stop staring at her.”</p><p>“Adorable.”</p><p>“Not really. I chased her for years, always playing the role of the ‘best friend’ throughout middle school and high school. It wasn’t until our senior graduation party that we confessed to each other and started dating. Her heart was different back then… but I still sense that part of her,” Sora trailed off, circling the edge ofthe wine glass with his middle finger.</p><p>“I’ll never compare to her,” Riku muttered to himself, knowing Sora didn’t hear it. He watched the brunette stare into space, obviously in deep thought. Riku knew what he was thinking about – Kairi had a strong effect on him, no matter the circumstances. Riku’s thoughts traveled to a place of self-depreciation and something close to jealousy, even though he had tried to convince himself he wasn’t catching feelings for this naive, depressed college boy in front of him. His internal struggle created a heavy anxiety in his chest that made him want to run – straight to the pills in his pocket. He pulled himself out of the booth and started walking.</p><p>“What’s wrong?” Sora asked once he realized Riku was moving.</p><p>“Going to the bathroom.” Riku responded, concealing whatever emotion he was feeling in his voice. “I’ll be right back.” He reached into his hoodie pocket to touch the bag, like it was a security blanket.</p><p>Soon, he made it into the bathroom and casually walked into the stall, locking the door behind him. He didn’t notice anyone else in the bathroom, but he wouldn’t have cared even if there was – nothing was going to stop Riku from taking his medicine. He dumped four pills out of the bag, placing them carefully onto the back of the toilet, and quickly started crushing them with his license. The soft cave of the pill when it pushed against his license, the feeling of the pieces crushing into dust… Sometimes Riku wondered if he fell in love with the process more than the drug itself. But in this moment, he craved nothing except numbness; he wanted to avoid the pain, he wanted to be relaxed. He’d do anything to <em>breathe</em> like a normal person. So his only solution was to put his nose against the dirty ass toilet in the bathroom of <em>The Smokin’ Grill</em> and sniff the crushed Percocet pills.</p><p>A few moments passed and Riku was slumped over the toilet, his body was heavy, and his eyes couldn’t stay open. The racing thoughts had subsided and he was nothing more than an empty shell. He remained in purgatory for who-knows-how-long.</p><p>When he began coming down from the peak of his high, he collected himself from the toilet and went to wash his hands in the sink, glancing in the mirror to groom himself enough to look presentable. Sora might be a Sky-boy, but he definitely isn’t stupid. No doubt the amount of time Riku was missing would raise suspicion, and he wanted to hide his addiction from Sora as long as humanly possible.</p><p>He settled on his appearance and walked back to the booth. The food had been delivered and Sora was biting into the burger in his hands. Riku scooted back into the seat, trying to act as though he hadn’t been using in the bathroom a few minutes prior.</p><p>“Sorry about that. I thought I was going to be sick,” Riku lied.</p><p>Sora spoke with his mouth full. “Are you sure you’re okay?”</p><p>Riku nodded. “I feel better now.” He looked down at his burger, but felt no hunger. The drugs made him lose his appetite every time, but to avoid raising suspicion, he took a bite. Riku chewed for what felt like an eternity before he forced himself to swallow. He put the burger down and stared at it.</p><p>Sora’s blue eyes were watching him; he could feel it, but he avoided eye contact. “You’re still not hungry? You didn’t eat breakfast either.”</p><p>Riku shrugged and played it off the best he could. “I dunno, I just don’t have an appetite today. It’ll come back eventually.” He pushed the plate away and took a sip of his drink.</p><p>Sora was still staring at him, head cocked to the side like an adorable concerned puppy. Riku finally made eye contact, being careful not to get lost in the ocean of blue. And if Sora looked into his own eyes for too long, he’d notice something off. Riku forced a smirk, fully aware that it would create a reaction from the brunette. It was intoxicating to watch Sora’s insides melt when he smirked – it served as a nice confidence booster, too.</p><p>“When you’re finished, I want to show you a secret spot of my own,” Riku stated. “If you’re up for it.”</p><p>Sora’s concerned expression softened into a smile. “Sure, as long as you’re feeling fine.”</p><p>Riku nodded in response, patiently waiting for Sora to finish is meal. His own burger had to be boxed for later.</p><p>xXx</p><p>The entire ride, Riku put most of his energy into focusing behind the wheel to avoid crashing. He always found himself justifying the <em>extremely illegal</em> act of driving under the influence –whether he’s driving alone and couldn’t care less if the car crashed, or he’s driving with someone and swore that he’d be the most careful driver in the world. Sober Riku knew he was being ridiculous, but high Riku was a master manipulator of his frontal lobe.</p><p>They pulled up to the entrance of a large, wide open park with several sport fields, walking paths, and garden patches. The park alone was beautiful, especially at night when most of the field lights were turned off, but that wasn’t the secret spot. Riku found a parking spot and stepped out of the car, ducking his head in the door to tell Sora, “We gotta walk the rest of the way.”</p><p>Sora exited the vehicle and hugged himself, collapsing into the hoodie he borrowed from Riku and rubbing his arms. “It’s chilly.”</p><p>Riku fought back the urge to hug him and pretended to ignore the comment. “Come on,” he beckoned as he started a brisk walk towards a hill in the distance. He heard Sora’s footsteps behind him, trying to increase his stride to catch up.</p><p>On the other side of the hill was a small, slightly visible path through the trees ahead. Riku took the lead and pushed the brush away as they walked. He most definitely destroyed some spider webs along the way, but figured most of them were abandoned thanks to the cold weather. They continued pushing through the trees until Riku came to a sudden stop; Sora bumped into him by accident.</p><p>“Alright, you ready?” Riku whispered.</p><p>“Why are you whispering?”</p><p>“To create an ambiance. Are you ready?” He repeated.</p><p>Sora chuckled. “I think so.”</p><p>“Okay,” Riku said, pushing a heavy branch out of the way to reveal a large pond in the middle of a giant clearing in the woods. The dim moonlight reflected against the water, making it glimmer. But the best part was-</p><p>“The STARS!” Sora shouted, pushing past Riku to stand in the clearing. His head was glued to the sky, mouth wide open in awe. Riku took his time walking to stand next to Sora, looking above with a smile.</p><p>Above the trees was a blanket of pure black, sprinkled with twinkling stars and a crescent moon among the shimmers of light. Each star differed in size and brightness, breathing life into the overwhelmingly massive, endless sky. Riku inhaled through his nose, taking in the crisp air and scent of nature. He sat down next to the edge of the pond and invited Sora to sit next to him with a gentle pat of the ground. Sora followed, settling down in the grass and staring back into the sky.</p><p>“I’ve never seen so many stars in my life,” Sora breathed, smile plastered on his face.</p><p>“It’s pretty, right?” Riku replied, calm and quiet. A few moments of silence passed to admire the sight before he spoke again. “You know, I always came here alone to think. Most of my life has been… me, alone.”</p><p>Sora had peeled his gaze away from the stars to look at Riku while he spoke. He looked confused, but didn’t say anything.</p><p>Riku continued. “But I think I like this better – sharing the moment with someone. With a best friend.” He looked at the wide-eyed brunette next to him to gauge his reaction. He chose his words carefully, but he meant them.</p><p>Sora smiled, teeth shining against the glow of the moonlight. “Hey, Riku?”</p><p>“Hm?”</p><p>The smaller man rested his head on Riku’s shoulder. His brown hair smelled like a mixture of old gel and shampoo. “I don’t care what your parents say. <em>I’m </em>proud of you.”</p><p>Riku’s breath hitched. “Thank you, Sora,” he whispered against the brown hair on his shoulder. It meant so much to hear, and for the most part, it felt good.</p><p>But deep down, Riku battled with himself. Would he still say that if he knew about the relapse? Is he really deserving of anyone’s pride? <em>If only you knew, Sora…</em> he thought to himself as they silently stared into the night sky.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>They're cute, ain't they??</p><p>You're all gonna hate me soon...</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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